Seattle-area tree lots see steady customer base years after supply shortage

SEATTLE — People in the market for a real Christmas tree in 2024 might get sticker shock, but not for the reasons they might expect.

Owners of some of Seattle's local tree lots explain prices nearly doubled during the height of the pandemic due to a tree shortage, labor, and other costs, but they're working to maintain their prices so there’s no additional burden on customers.

At a time when the price of just about everything from food to gas is becoming too much for many families, businesses like Andy Smith's Christmas Trees in Seattle’s Greenwood neighborhood say people are still shopping.

"It is fun! The kids come out and get a candy cane," Smith said.

Whether it's a family tradition or someone's first time picking out a real Christmas tree, this lot has approximately 3,000 trees for sale from Mossyrock, Washington. Even midday on a weekday, KOMO News saw customers filing in and picking out their perfect tree. Foreman Cole Feltis explained that their most popular tree is the 6-foot Noble Fir.

Owner Andy Smith said the average price jumped during the pandemic from about $80 to $130 for a 7-foot to 7-and-a-half-foot tree, but he has kept prices the same for the past two years.

"We have not raised our prices even though I think the inflation hit us a few years ago," Smith explained. "It just takes so much energy to put these things together. There are helicopters involved, and there are hundreds of people working out on these farms right now cutting. That’s kind of in the ballpark where we’re at. I’m sorry if that scares people away. I get it."

He has been in business on this lot off Holman Road and 101st Street for 45 years but said this past weekend was record-breaking with sales of more than 1,000 trees.

The owner of Donna's Trees and Donna's son Leo Van Hollebeke said their lots in Interbay and Bothell have not boosted prices in years, since the tree shortage. He said their in-state inventory is no longer a problem.

"The wholesale prices have remained the same so we’ve had other costs. Insurance has gone up and labor’s gone up, but we’ve kept our retail prices the same," Hollebeke added. "I buy from the children of the farmer my dad bought from."

Customers told KOMO News they're willing to pay a little extra to maintain their family traditions and have new experiences from tree shopping to decorating.

"[Prices are] definitely a little high but again I also got a nicer tree," customer Isabella Organ stated.

American Christmas Tree Association explains the nonprofit can anticipate a disruption in tree prices, based on economic factors 12 years earlier, roughly the time it takes a Christmas tree to grow.

“We saw that a while back in 2020, as an example," ACTA Spokesperson Mac Harman said. "When going back to 2008, there was the recession and farmers really didn’t have the money to plant seedlings, so that impacted prices 12 years later."

The American Christmas Tree Association explains people can find an artificial tree for roughly the same price as they were last year, and now's a good time to get one in case there are tariffs levied against them. Of course, another Pacific Northwest tradition is to cut down your own tree. The permits range from $5 to $10.