Romain Rouillard
6:25 p.m., November 24, 2022modified to
11:35 a.m., November 28, 2022
Faced like everyone else with inflation and weighed down by the summer drought, many Christmas tree producers have no choice but to pass on these costs to the selling price of their conifers. However, some traders may decide to cut back on their margins to contain the rise.
It is a must for the end of the year celebrations but which should not escape inflation. The Christmas tree, for which the French spend an average of thirty euros, according to a study by the Kantar institute, could cost more this year. Very bad news just a month from Christmas Eve.
Various factors must be considered to explain this situation. And in particular the episodes of drought that have invaded France throughout the summer. “It dehydrated our crops and it weakened them at the start of winter. There was a lot of mortality in certain productions and it was necessary to replant everything that had perished”, explains to Europe 1 Frédéric Naudat , president of the French Association of the natural Christmas tree.
An increase that should not exceed 10%
Enough to trigger a vicious circle since replanting requires the use of various motorized vehicles. In a context of rising fuel prices, the final bill is inevitably much higher for producers. Especially since the conifers must then be shipped. “And we don’t put a lot of fir trees in a truck”, underlines Frédéric Naudat.
The specialist in the sector finally points to an increase in the “cost of packaging” estimated “between 30 and 50%” in the space of a year for wooden packaging. The increase in the price of Christmas trees therefore seems inevitable. Initially, producers should supply their merchandise to distributors “10% more expensive on average” according to Frédéric Naudat.
These merchants will then have to choose whether or not to pass on this surge in costs to the selling price. “I think an effort will be made. It is possible that some will tighten their price,” said the specialist. Enough to contain the increase which should therefore not exceed 10%.
Source: Europe1
I am a journalist who writes about economics and business. I have worked in the news industry for over 5 years, most recently as an author at Global Happenings. My work has focused on covering the economy news, and I have written extensively on topics such as unemployment rates, housing prices, and the financial crisis. I am also an avid reader and have been known to write about books that interest me.
