London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 30, 2025

Early rush for real Christmas trees expected to start this weekend as demand spikes

Early rush for real Christmas trees expected to start this weekend as demand spikes

The early hunt for Christmas trees is thought to be partly a response to the pandemic - but also a reaction to Brexit shipping issues.

Demand for Christmas trees is expected to spike by 15% this year as shoppers get into the festive mood early - with the rush expected to begin this weekend.

It has been dubbed "Christmas Tree Saturday" - despite being in November and 28 days before Christmas Day.

The early hunt for festive trees is thought to be partly a response to the pandemic - but also a reaction to Brexit shipping issues.

Up to three million Christmas trees are imported each year from countries across Europe


A tenth of real Christmas trees sold in the UK are imported.

There will also be a higher demand for locally grown trees, retailers have said.

Christopher Hood, director and founder of Europe's largest tree wholesaler Needlefresh - based in Yattendon, near Newbury, Berkshire, which sells more than 700,000 trees each year - said demand for real trees is increasing every year.

"I think it's a culmination of what's going on with Brexit and the fact that generally people have been struggling with COVID, people want to celebrate and they want to find something to enjoy," he told the PA news agency.

"With there being problems with hauling goods from Asia I think there is going to be a lack of plastic trees, that's for certain, and real trees are going to see the benefit of it."

He said his company is responding to the early demand for trees, and added: "We are sending trees out earlier and we were harvesting earlier to allow for that but don't forget they are real trees, so they will eventually start to dry out if they are left around too long, so anyone who buys a tree early has to look after it properly."

Tesco said it is stocking up on longer-lasting, non-drop Christmas trees such as the Nordman fir to meet the demand for trees to last the extended season.

"The trend has become so pronounced and widespread across the whole of the UK that we now refer to the event as 'Christmas Tree Saturday'," said its horticulture spokeswoman Lottie Morrison.

Some eight to 10 million real Christmas trees are sold in the UK each year


"This year we are anticipating an even earlier rush - at the end of November - on account of last year's Christmas party celebrations being cancelled because of the pandemic.

"While most of those early sales will happen on the Saturday we do see a spike across the whole weekend - and the following weekend - as it gives families the chance to enjoy the decorating ceremony together."

Around eight to 10 million real Christmas trees are sold in the UK each year, according to the British Christmas Tree Growers Association (BCTGA).

Between one and three million of these are imported each year from countries elsewhere in Europe.

But amid shortage and price warnings from as early as September, it reassured customers that there would be "no shortage of real British-grown Christmas trees this season" due to a "marvellous growing year"

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK and Vietnam Sign Landmark Migration Deal to Fast-Track Returns of Irregular Arrivals
UK Drug-Pricing Overhaul Essential for Life-Sciences Ambition, Says GSK Chief
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie Temporarily Leave the UK Amid Their Parents’ Royal Fallout
UK Weighs Early End to Oil and Gas Windfall Tax as Reeves Seeks Investment Commitments
UK Retail Inflation Slows as Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since Spring
Next Raises Full-Year Profit Guidance After Strong Third-Quarter Performance
Reform UK’s Lee Anderson Admits to 'Gaming' Benefits System While Advocating Crackdown
United States and South Korea Conclude Major Trade Accord Worth $350 Billion
Hurricane Melissa Strikes Cuba After Devastating Jamaica With Record Winds
Vice President Vance to Headline Turning Point USA Campus Event at Ole Miss
U.S. Targets Maritime Narco-Routes While Border Pressure to Mexico Remains Limited
Bill Gates at 70: “I Have a Real Fear of Artificial Intelligence – and Also Regret”
Elon Musk Unveils Grokipedia: An AI-Driven Alternative to Wikipedia
Saudi Arabia Unveils Vision for First-Ever "Sky Stadium" Suspended Over Desert Floor
Amazon Announces 14 000 Corporate Job Cuts as AI Investment Accelerates
UK Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since March, Food Leads the Decline
London Stock Exchange Group ADR (LNSTY) Earns Zacks Rank #1 Upgrade on Rising Earnings Outlook
Soap legend Tony Adams, long-time star of Crossroads, dies at 84
Rachel Reeves Signals Tax Increases Ahead of November Budget Amid £20-50 Billion Fiscal Gap
NatWest Past Gains of 314% Spotlight Opportunity — But Some Key Risks Remain
UK Launches ‘Golden Age’ of Nuclear with £38 Billion Sizewell C Approval
UK Announces £1.08 Billion Budget for Offshore Wind Auction to Boost 2030 Capacity
UK Seeks Steel Alliance with EU and US to Counter China’s Over-Capacity
UK Struggles to Balance China as Both Strategic Threat and Valued Trading Partner
Argentina’s Markets Surge as Milei’s Party Secures Major Win
British Journalist Sami Hamdi Detained by U.S. Authorities After Visa Revocation Amid Israel-Gaza Commentary
King Charles Unveils UK’s First LGBT+ Armed Forces Memorial at National Memorial Arboretum
At ninety-two and re-elected: Paul Biya secures eighth term in Cameroon amid unrest
Racist Incidents Against UK Nurses Surge by 55%
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves Cites Shared Concerns With Trump Administration as Foundation for Early US-UK Trade Deal
Essentra plc: A Closer Look at a UK ‘Penny Stock’ Opportunity Amid Market Weakness
U.S. and China Near Deal to Avert Rare-Earth Export Controls Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit
Justin time: Justin Herbert Shields Madison Beer with Impressive Reflex at Lakers Game
Russia’s President Putin Declares Burevestnik Nuclear Cruise Missile Ready for Deployment
Giuffre’s Memoir Alleges Maxwell Claimed Sexual Act with Clooney
House Republicans Move to Strip NYC Mayoral Front-Runner Zohran Mamdani of U.S. Citizenship
Record-High Spoiled Ballots Signal Voter Discontent in Ireland’s 2025 Presidential Election
Philippines’ Taal Volcano Erupts Overnight with 2.4 km Ash Plume
Albania’s Virtual AI 'Minister' Diella Set to 'Birth' Eighty-Three Digital Assistants for MPs
Tesla Unveils Vision for Optimus V3 as ‘Biggest Product of All Time’, Including Surgical Capabilities
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
Convicted Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed by UK Prison Service Arrested in London
United States and China Begin Constructive Trade Negotiations Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
Miss USA Crowns Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert Amid Leadership Overhaul
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
NBA Faces Integrity Crisis After Mass Arrests in Gambling Scandal
Swift Heist at the Louvre Sees Eight French Crown Jewels Stolen in Under Seven Minutes
U.S. Halts Trade Talks with Canada After Ontario Ad Using Reagan Voice Triggers Diplomatic Fallout
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
×