Amazon Will Sell Full-Size, Live Christmas Trees This Holiday Season They'll be eligible for Prime shipping.
By Mallory Locklear Edited by Dan Bova
This story originally appeared on Engadget
During the holidays, you may turn to Amazon for hassle-free gift shopping or for some festive decorations, but this year you'll be able to get one more item to deck your home out for Christmas -- a full-size Christmas tree. Come November, Amazon will begin selling full-size trees, which will ship to customers within 10 days of being cut down, according to the Associated Press. The trees, which will include varieties like Douglas firs, Norfolk Island pines and Frasier firs, will be eligible for Prime free shipping.
Amazon sold smaller trees, less than three feet tall, last year and merchants sold full-size trees through the platform as well. However, this will mark the first time Amazon itself has sold full-size, seven-foot-tall Christmas trees. The AP says a seven-foot Fraser fir will cost $115 and that Amazon will also sell items like wreaths and garlands. Customers will have the option of choosing a delivery date that's convenient for them.
While having a tree shipped to your home might eliminate some of the hassle that goes with choosing your own live tree and transporting it home, there are still plenty of reasons why people may still want to get their own. First, doing it yourself allows for some quality control. When you go to a lot to select your own Christmas tree, you can be sure that the one you bring home won't be crooked or have a big gaping hole in the side. And secondly, going out to find a tree is often a fun tradition that some won't be so quick to let go of.
The National Christmas Tree Association told the AP that only around 1 to 2 percent of the millions of live Christmas trees purchased last year were bought online. "It's so small, it's almost undetectable," said Tim O'Connor, the group's executive director.