MIAMI – The Fraser firs are flying at the Boys and Girls Club of Miami.
Christmas trees went on sale Monday morning, three days before Thanksgiving, but officials are advising not to wait too long before coming out to get your tree.
“The earlier the better,” said Alex Rodriguez-Roig, President of Boys and Girls Club of Miami. “There’s a good supply now, but there’s going to be a lot of people buying in the next few days so come early and get your beautiful tree.”
There has been a steady shortage of trees over the past few years, partly caused by fires, droughts and floods.
“There’s no question the last few years there’s been a supply issue, a lot less trees, particularly these which are premium trees,” Rodriguez-Roig said. “They take longer to grow, more TLC.”
This year, inventory problems have been exacerbated by supply chain issues and labor shortages, which means you can expect to find fewer trees out there, and for higher prices.
“Prices have gone up, no question, shipping has gone up,” Rodriguez-Roig said. “These things affect the bottom line in how we get them here and how we sell them here.”
WE FOUND JORGE PRIETO AT THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB. HIS COMPANY LIGHTSCAPES BUYS SEVERAL TREES AT A TIME TO DECORATE COUNTRY CLUBS OR BUILDINGS.
Jorge Prieto has a company called Lightscapes. They buy several trees at a time to decorate country clubs or buildings.
“At the end, I think it’s a combination of factors. I hope we find ways to help each other out,” Prieto said. “Inventory is low or they don’t have inventory, so we’ve been looking at different places as we drive around, and I don’t see many trees.”
In the end, wherever you shop, the advice is to come early and be kind.
“You have to come quick and come get them,” Rodriguez-Roig said.