Talk about the Christmas spirit - not! If you thought the business of selling Christmas trees was merry and bright, think again. There is nothing holly or jolly about selling Christmas trees in the Big Apple. Instead, these cutthroat Christmas tree sellers in NYC make the mafia look tame.
The Scoop About Cutthroat Christas Tree Sellers In NYC
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The NY Post shared the details about the cutthroat Christmas tree sellers in NYC, and honestly, it seems like an exhausting business. To start off, they go into massive amounts of debt to bring you your holiday cheer. The outlet shared that some of the sellers have gone "roughly $400,000 into debt to buy their supplies."
So think about that the next time you are in a pop-up tree stand in the big city. What might look like a casual business is actually wildly expensive. As if spending all your money wasn't stressful enough, you have to worry about your location. Not only do you want the prime-time location for yourself, but you also want to keep that prime location hush-hush from your competitors. Not only your selling location, but your buying location as well.
After all, you want to keep the best trees for yourself. The outlet shares that many of the trees are "often sourced from farms in Oregon, Michigan, North Carolina, and Tennessee." However, the exact locations are heavily guarded, like the most important secret of their life.
As If That Weren't Enough...
As if going into massive debt and being tight-lipped about everything wasn't stressful enough. These cutthroat Christmas tree sellers in NYC also have to deal with a myriad of other uncontrollable factors. One of those factors is the weather. Let's face it, no one wants to go Christmas shopping in the rain or in freezing temperatures. However, those sellers are out there all the time, hoping to sell as much as they can.
Also, let's not forget stores like Home Depot that make getting a Christmas tree so simple. More and more people are opting for artificial pre-lit trees, a fact that is making these cutthroat Christmas tree sellers a bit nervous. NYC Tree Shop owner George Smith spoke to the Post about these dilemmas. "We deal with everything," he shared. "The weather - no one wants to buy a tree in the rain. We deal with the economy when people are going through hard times. We dealt with the transit strike. We see it all firsthand because we're on the front line."
I tell you what, after hearing all of their struggles, I will never look at Christmas tree salesmen the same again. Maybe the next time I buy a tree, I will surprise them with a nice hot chocolate.
