CHICAGO (NewsNation Now) — If you don’t already have that last piece for your Christmas village set or that perfect artificial tree, it might already be too late to order unless you want to pay through the nose. Supply chain issues are driving prices sky-high as inventories shrink.
At Tree Time Creations in Lake Barrington, Illinois, owner Joe Kane has been trying to keep his inventory stocked but finding it difficult.
Kane said data showing that this year’s average cost for an artificial tree was $104 was inaccurate. “I think the only way you get that figure is if you include the little 18-inch-tall tabletop trees,” he said. The actual cost for a full-size artificial tree is much higher, although he added that an unlit tree will be much less costly.
Tree Time Creations designs its own trees, and Kane says factory owners were telling him a year ago that he had to get his orders in. Even though he got his order in months earlier than usual, he’s still getting his stock in late.
The key thing, Kane said, when shopping online for a tree is to pay attention to the ship date. Sometimes people overlook that when in the frenzy of acquisition, and end up ordering a Christmas tree that won’t arrive until February.