Barbadians are flocking to various locations across the island to secure their Christmas trees for the yuletide season, with many showing a strong preference for authentic trees over artificial ones.
“People who buy the real ones say that they love the smell, they love the atmosphere. They will not settle for an artificial one. They want the real deal,” said Stefan Potthoff, assistant store manager at Kooyman.
The fragrant aroma of pine needles wafting through the air creates an unmistakable Christmas ambiance, drawing customers to these natural options.
When a Nation team visited some locations, there was a steady trickle of customers examining trees and making their selections.
Some merchants said weekends usually brought significantly higher traffic.
“Weekends are a lot busier. During the week, people trickle in and out. It gets much busier in the evening,” said Brodie, owner of Bajan Xmas Trees.
The season’s sales began just before Independence, with most vendors starting their operations a week before Independence Day.
“Our peak was last Sunday. It was very busy. Everybody wanted to make sure that they had their tree for the first of December,” Potthoff said, adding that approximately 50 per cent of their stock has already been sold.
Customers have a wide range of options, with prices starting at $70 for smaller trees and reaching up to $500 for the more magnificent specimens. The trees vary in height from modest three-foot options to impressive nine-foot centrepieces, catering to different space requirements and preferences.
While authentic trees are proving popular, some customers still opt for artificial alternatives.
“Then we had other customers who like to have the artificial ones that they can reuse every year instead of having to buy a fresh one each year,” Potthoff explained.
Brodie, who started slightly later than his competitors, remained optimistic about sales.
“We started a little later than we usually do. Other competitors would’ve started before us, but we’re still doing good in sales,” he said, anticipating another busy weekend. (DS)
