Christmas trees selling out quicker as some worry about supply shortages

Christmas trees could be in short supply this holiday season and some may even need to fork out a little more to get one.

At the Hogan's Christmas Tree U-pick in Mount Uniacke, N.S., Josh and Rachel Patrick cut their own tree on Monday. 

“He’ll [the tree] be away for a few weeks, so we’re just trying to get out early this year and get one but we did hear that there is a shortage,” says Rachel.

U-cut owner Grant Hogan says customers have been showing up earlier each year.

“A day before opening day somebody gave me quite a story and they wanted a tree, so I said, 'Sure, you can have your tree,'” Hogan says.

Hogan's prices haven’t changed much because he doesn’t have a lot of overhead for things like transportation. However, there may be a bump in the cost of trees at pop-up lots around the city.

“We’ll be setting our price tonight at the club meeting but I imagine it’ll still be one of the best deals in town,” says Tim Rissessco, who sells trees for the Kiwanis Club in Dartmouth, N.S.

The club's supplier has increased its price by $2 a tree. Rissessco says they order between 500 to 600 trees, which tend to go fast.

“We used to go sometimes a little more than two weeks to sell our trees but people are wanting the trees earlier and they seem to be selling out quicker, all within a week or so,” Rissessco says.

It may be a little bit tricky finding a tree for those who wait.

Hogan says he’ll stay open as long as there is a demand for Christmas trees.