Nov 24 2007
Inflation Watch: X-Mas Trees Up 20%
Christmas trees are expected to cost an average of 20% more this year according to agriculture officials in Massachusetts. The reason? See the stats from the Boston Globe’s website:
There are several reasons for the rise, including increased fuel prices, added demand, and a weak dollar that makes trees imported from Canadian farms more expensive.
Last year, 28.6 million real Christmas trees were sold in the United States at an average price of $40.50, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. Americans also bought 9.3 million fake trees at an average price of $68.
The average cost of a tree last year was 27 percent higher than in 2001, when trees cost $31.90. In a spot check of tree retailers in Massachusetts, tree prices ranged yesterday from about $25 for a 5-foot balsam fir to nearly $100 for a 10-foot Fraser fir.
How’s that for an effect of the falling dollar on inflation? Our plan this year is to buy a Christmas tree after Christmas and in advance of the new year. We’re hoping for a post-holiday price cut, but I’m not particularly optimistic.
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