Trends of Green Christmas: Tree Leasing
Would you lease your Christmas tree? That’s a growing trend on the U.S. West Coast these days. Entrepeneur Joan Grandizio, who lives in Aliso Viejo, California, is hoping to persuade Orange County, California folks to lease their Christmas trees this year rather than buy a cut pine or artificial variety.
Her company, To Go Green Live Christmas Trees, takes care of the trees most of the year, delivers them to leasee home and apartment dwellers around Thanksgiving and picks them up again after New Years. Prices range from $50 to $135 depending on size. The varieties include deodar cedar, Aleppo pine, Leyland cypress and Monterey pine.
If you pre-order before September, Gradizio will include a free tree skirt.
Grandizio isn’t the only one with the Christmas tree leasing idea. Ikea did it back in the late ’80s-early ’90s even here in Southern California. Living Christmas Tree Company in Portland, Ore., claims to be the original, stared in 1992. Christmas Tree Rentals does it in the Bay Area, Rent a Living Christmas Tree LLC is in central California, and The Living Christmas Tree Co. in Torrance delivers from Santa Monica to Long Beach, according to a map on its website.
They all seem to emphasize the eco-friendliness of leasing over buying a Christmas tree. A few mention the convenience.
“I want to keep 30 million trees out of landfills,” Gradizio says. “And once a tree grows too big for the home or office, you can plant it in your yard or we will plant it in one of the burn areas of California.”
Customers can name their own tree and lease the same one every year, but there are obligations to leasing that cut-tree buyers don’t have. Leasees agree to properly water the tree and not put flocking or tinsel on it.
In between Christmases, the trees are kept at a local pinery, Grandizio says.
Manning Featured on Hallmark Keepsake Ornament
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning is a man of many identities. He’s a Super Bowl champion. A New Jersey resident. A delicious Sandwich. Manning will now and forevermore be a Christmas ornament.
Hallmark released the company’s 2010 Keepsake Ornaments “holiday preview” this past weekend (July 10-11). Included are figurines of New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu, Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane and Philadelphia Phillies slugger Ryan Howard. Manning and Polamalu are part of a yearly NFL Christmas ornaments series that also include Eli’s brother, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.
The Eli Manning, sports-related and other available Christmas ornaments are part of a special week-long Christmas/holiday preview from Hallmark. Up until July 18, Hallmark will be offering numerous specials and discounts on ornaments and other Christmas products. The Eli Manning ornament is the only New York Giants and New York sports Christmas ornament to be released by Hallmark in 2010.
A bit early for Christmas, you say? Christmas in July is right around the corner, and what better way to celebrate the occasion with the New York Giants fan in your life than getting him/her the Eli Manning ornament? For what it’s worth, Manning has two healthy feet in the ornament.
Outdoor Decorating Trends Increase
People’s passion for holiday and seasonal decorating is moving outside. In 2009 Americans spent nearly 40 percent of their annual seasonal decorations budget on new outdoor decorations, up from only 22 percent back in 2004, according to a recently released report from Unity Marketing, Christmas and Seasonal Decorations Report 2010 UPDATE.
Overall sales of outdoor seasonal and holiday decorations rose 18.9 percent from 2008 to 2009, while sales of indoor decorations were off by 4 percent. This is based upon the results of a new survey among 548 seasonal decorations consumers completed early this year in order to capture purchases for the 2009 sales year. Throughout the first nine months of 2009, Unity Marketing found consumers held back on buying new holiday decorations. They didn’t start shopping for new decorations until the fourth quarter.
“For all 2009 holidays up until Halloween, consumer spending on seasonal decorations were off from 2008 levels. That all changed with Halloween, with spending for Halloween decorations rising over 18 percent from 2008 to 2009. Sales of Christmas decorations in 2009 rose more modestly, with much of that growth attributed to increased purchases of outdoor decorations,” explains Pam Danziger, president of Unity Marketing and lead researcher on the new seasonal decorations survey.
Danziger explains, “This study provides marketers and retailers the latest information about American’s seasonal decorating traditions and new purchases. While the seasonal decorations market is notoriously volatile with decorating trends going rapidly in and out of favor, for 2010 we see clear signs that Americans will invest more in seasonal decorations this year. Outside decorating will remain the focus this year, with consumers starting earlier to celebrate the Fourth of July, followed by new outside decorations to welcome in the fall holidays. For autumn decorators will emphasize natural floral accessories and nature themes throughout the inside and outside of the home. Halloween celebrations will go more sinister with a boost from the growing popularity of vampires and werewolves which will be popular themes for costumes and decorations.
“Assuming the economy continues to improve, Americans are likely to return to the stores to buy new Christmas decorations for their outdoor areas and especially their Christmas trees. This is likely to be a good year for marketers and retailers offering ready-lit Christmas trees which seemed too pricey during the recession. They also are likely to make the investment this year toward more energy-efficient lights to replace the old electricity-hogging models.”
Danziger concludes, “This research study shows that product innovation is key to marketing success. The latest consumer insights can guide marketers to uncover what consumers desire in new decorating fashion and design new product lines that will give today’s careful shopper a reason to buy.
“Insights in this report will also help marketers learn about new patterns in where people shop for decorations so that they can maximize the sales opportunity in each of the different retail channels. For example, marketers should have an Internet strategy in place for Christmas 2010 as the research found the Internet and non-store retailers are among the fastest growing retail category for these items.”
