Christmas trees

[jeepinmatt]

My wife wants to know:
1. How does Food Lion sell a 7ft tree for $50 when everywhere else is $100?
2. What is the best way to buy a tree and help NC tree farmers? (Without actually going up there and buying direct because that’s what I would do)

 

[YotaOnRocks]

My wife wants to know:
1. How does Food Lion sell a 7ft tree for $50 when everywhere else is $100?
2. What is the best way to buy a tree and help NC tree farmers? (Without actually going up there and buying direct because that’s what I would do)

I know when we lived in kernersville, we always bought ours from a family selling them in front of Lowe's food. They were from West Jefferson ( so was my mom and grandma) and my grandma would hang out with them and take them warm food several nights while they were in town. I'd imagine you could roll up to anyone set up and they're more than likely from Western NC.

 

[paradisePWoffrd]

I know when we lived in kernersville, we always bought ours from a family selling them in front of Lowe's food. They were from West Jefferson ( so was my mom and grandma) and my grandma would hang out with them and take them warm food several nights while they were in town. I'd imagine you could roll up to anyone set up and they're more than likely from Western NC.

Most of the local tree lots are bridging them down the mtn.

I want to say that I read the box stores and chains bring their trees in from Canada. FL tends to try and support NC, so I would bet theirs are from here, but they likely just buy in bulk to get the deal

 

[R Q]

My wife wants to know:
1. How does Food Lion sell a 7ft tree for $50 when everywhere else is $100?
2. What is the best way to buy a tree and help NC tree farmers? (Without actually going up there and buying direct because that’s what I would do)

1. Those are basically culls and FL tells thew farmer how much they will pay.
2. There are lots from the actual farms with the growers there selling them. When I was buying fresh trees I found one of those lots and they were great. Went back several times. Actually there is one 1/2 mile from my house but they are really expensive but have beautiful trees. Best one was in Indian Trail that I used. A quick FB search could probably find you one close

 

[Ron]

Food lion buys volume and the tree games know they can slip some culls into the tractor trailer loads that smaller lots wouldn’t accept. So they can divide the cost per by sticks that would be zero.

 

[mbalbritton]

They can keep their trees they bring down to Florida. Dried out 7’ tree that’s been cut for a week already with no water in Florida is $150 and not going to make it to the end of the first week of December before spontaneous combustion.

That’s a hard pill to swallow when we’d go cut our own in the mountains for $25.

I do miss the smell of a fresh cut Christmas tree though.

 

[jeepinmatt]

That’s a hard pill to swallow when we’d go cut our own in the mountains for $25.

What year was that? Because they’ve been $10+ per foot since 2020.

 

[mbalbritton]

What year was that? Because they’ve been $10+ per foot since 2020.

I left NC in 2018, so that would be Xmas 2017.

 

[jeepinmatt]

I left NC in 2018, so that would be Xmas 2017.

Yeah, it used to be cheaper in the mountains to cut it yourself. Now it’s just as much as everywhere else.

 

[mbalbritton]

Yeah, it used to be cheaper in the mountains to cut it yourself. Now it’s just as much as everywhere else.

 

[UTfball68]

My wife wants to know:
1. How does Food Lion sell a 7ft tree for $50 when everywhere else is $100?

Volume and quality of tree…and most importantly, leasing of the location/labor/overhead. I tried getting trees on my retail locations last year. First of all, a lot of the tree farms have their inventory spoken for, for 2-3 years out minimum…which I had no idea. Figured a sale was a sale, they didn’t care if it was someone cutting them down at location or trekking down a mountain. I was wrong. Most of these tree locations you see have a lease of sorts…some times it’s the farm with someone they hire…some times it’s people like me, who just wanted trees and would have to give a percentage of sales if I didn’t wanna coordinate labor. Food lions of the world just stack that stuff up front and might have some dude already on payroll help for 5 minutes get it to your car. The extra sales just dilutes overhead they already have. Then the volume…I figured 500-1000 trees was enough for me to be a ‘player’…I was also wrong there. I couldn’t touch the purchasing power of big box stores. And just for bonus info…it’s the same for pumpkins…but those are lower value items so not noticed as much.

 

[mbalbritton]

Yeah, it used to be cheaper in the mountains to cut it yourself. Now it’s just as much as everywhere else.

I say Booo, but I also remember running the numbers on how long it takes to grow a tree, the number of sqft it takes to grow that tree and the price they sell it for. I never could make the math work to make it a sustainable business.

 

[Noel]

I say Booo, but I also remember running the numbers on how long it takes to grow a tree, the number of soft it takes to grow that tree and the price they sell it for. I never could make the math work to make it a sustainable business

Yep got a friend that was gonna do it. Think it was 7/10 years. And alot of upkeep

 

[Croatan_Kid]

I'd like to think since Food Lion, Harris Teeter, Lowe's, and Lowe's Foods are all NC companies that they all sell trees from NC. That probably has something to do with the buying power Food Lion has in the Christmas tree game. Along with money, of course.

Also, for several years running, I've always seen the same guys with the same two-tone, 98 K3500 dually in Havelock. There was a big, empty lot next to Cookout. I got a tree years ago and they were out of Boone. If I remember correctly, he said he tended several of the fields you could see off the right side of the highway as you come in to town.

I'd imagine you can find an NC grower/seller fairly easily!

 

[Croatan_Kid]

I had to look it up:

Lowe's Home Improvement - Sexton Farms (one of the largest growers in NC, started in Ashe county)

Food Lion - NC, PA, WI, OR, MI.

Harris Teeter - Same as above

Lowes Foods - Can't tell if they sell them. I never go there.


From what I can tell, it seems like Lowe's Home Improvement would be the best big store for getting an NC tree. I will give them kudos...it even says right on their website that they've dealt with Sexton Farms for 25+ years. Hopefully that still holds true since the article is from several years ago.

O Christmas tree

Fourth-generation Sexton Farms in North Carolina has provided Christmas trees to Lowe’s for 25 years

corporate.lowes.com

 

[justjeepin86]

I had to look it up:

Lowe's Home Improvement - Sexton Farms (one of the largest growers in NC, started in Ashe county)

Food Lion - NC, PA, WI, OR, MI.

Harris Teeter - Same as above

Lowes Foods - Can't tell if they sell them. I never go there.


From what I can tell, it seems like Lowe's Home Improvement would be the best big store for getting an NC tree. I will give them kudos...it even says right on their website that they've dealt with Sexton Farms for 25+ years. Hopefully that still holds true since the article is from several years ago.

O Christmas tree

Fourth-generation Sexton Farms in North Carolina has provided Christmas trees to Lowe’s for 25 years

corporate.lowes.com

My MIL does the books for Sexton's. Or she did for a LONG time. I'm not sure they didn't start doing them in house though.

 

[Spence]

If anyone reading this thread is from around Salisbury, they should consider buying their tree at "Icicle Mountain" nest to Alligood Tire(Jerry's) on Jake Alexander Blvd. Those trees are grown and sold by my Uncle. Top quality Spencer Christmas trees from Ashe County.

 

[Andy J.]

I drove all the way to WJ to get ours. 3 hours of my life and $100 I’ll never get back (not including gas, obligatory kettle popcorn, and lunch), but at least the wife was happy I guess.