Posted on: Monday, December 20, 2004
Christmas tree costs soar in final week
Advertiser Staff and Wire Services
A shortage of Christmas trees in Hawai'i has some O'ahu residents paying more than $200 for fresh trees shipped in just a week before Christmas.
More than 200 people created a frenzy at a tree lot near the University of Hawai'i during the weekend, waiting for a shipment of 130 noble firs flown in from Oregon.
Most Christmas trees sold on the island have been delivered by cargo ships since Thanksgiving from tree farms in the Pacific Northwest. Last season, sellers say they took losses when hundreds went unsold, forcing them to give the trees away for free. But this year, smaller orders caused a major shortage across the Islands.
Trees were sold out at many retailers including Wal-Mart, K-mart and several supermarkets.
"Last year, a lot of places over-ordered," said Dasha Nixon, a manager at the Wal-Mart on Maui, which brought in 200 fewer trees this year. "This year, it looks like they under-ordered."
Tree buyers camped out in the parking lot at Market City Shopping Center in the Kaimuki area as early as 3 a.m. Saturday, and five hours later there were more than 200 customers waiting for the promised shipment.
At 7:30 a.m., Forest Products, operated by Mele Kalikimaka Turner, announced that trees would cost $165 to $265 each. Some customers complained that was double the price the man, whose first name means "Merry Christmas" in Hawaiian, had charged on Wednesday.
Trees around Hawai'i had been averaging between $30 and $70 at local lots.
Turner insisted his new price was fair for top-quality trees freshly flown-in a week before Christmas.
"I am not gouging," he insisted. "It's a fair price for the time and energy. There's a lot involved in bringing a tree to Hawai'i."
But some customers rebelled.
"He thinks he's got us because he's got the trees. But we have the money, and maybe we won't pay," shouted Barbara Taylor of Honolulu.
One man, in desperation, gave up on the line and got on his cell phone to order a tree from a Colorado company for $80 plus $145 for shipping by air.
But most were happy to even get a tree. Mari Hoffman of Kahala purchased a 7-foot fir for $215.
Mike Swenson of Makakilo bought a shorter tree for $185.
"I got a 5- to 6-foot tree and I paid way too much," Swenson said.
In 'Aiea, businessman Mike Petersen expects to do a brisk business today when he puts 50 noble firs on sale beginning at 1 p.m at Wally Ho's Garage and Grill, on Kamehameha Highway.
"We heard there's a big demand," he said, so he had the trees, 6- to 7-feet tall, flown in from California.
Asking price: $100 each.
