Christmas tree sellers experience peak crowds, just like last weekend

The Dutch are going to buy Christmas trees en masse this weekend. "This weekend is really crazy," said chairman Gerard Krol of the Association of Dutch Christmas Tree Growers (VNK). His members supply Christmas trees to garden centers and hardware stores, but also to the intermediate trade, which in turn supplies smaller Christmas tree dealers.

Although the weekend after Sinterklaas is traditionally very busy, there is also a shift. "Last weekend was already very busy," said Krol, who suspects that many people immediately go into Christmas mode after celebrating Sinterklaas. "I think we will see that again next year, when Sinterklaas evening falls on a Tuesday.”

Christmas tree sales started in most places on the weekend of November 26, but that still only appeals to a small group. "Perhaps that's a good thing, because the later people buy the Christmas tree, the more likely it is to remain beautiful until after Christmas."

Earlier, the VNK said it expects to sell between 2.2 million and 2.5 million Christmas trees. Unlike last year, when people were looking for a little bit more atmosphere in their homes because of the lockdown due to Covid-19.

Despite the high inflation, everything points to that expectation coming true, said Krol.