2020 has been a year of hardship and perseverance. The Covid-19 pandemic has devastated the global economy, leaving many feeling downtrodden and disappointed. However, not everyone is willing to just sit down and take it. In fact, many Singaporeans are going out of their way to pre-order Christmas trees to lift spirits at home and get into the holiday mood.
Demand is so high that it is now beginning to outstrip supply. Of course, part of the reason for this are delays in logistics and shipping caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. However, since the pandemic has also put a damper on travel and leisure, many families are going to end up spending their holidays at home; resulting in a spike in demand for Christmas decorations.
According to the Sunday Times, at least six out of nine nurseries and retailers that they spoke to recently were completely sold out of Christmas trees. Others have been left with an incredibly limited stock. A spokesman for Dairy Farm, which oversees Cold Storage, said trees were still available in stores, although they were selling out quickly.
Other big names, such as Ikea Singapore, have also made it known that their stocks are fast depleting as demand for Christmas trees continue to surge every week. The overwhelming demand for Christmas trees has taken nurseries by surprise. Many have reported that they bought a similar number of trees last year, but demand was nowhere near as high.
Sharon Goh, director of Candy Floriculture, said that her company expected demand to be low due to the pandemic and the purchasing trends it caused. However, it seems that every resident has started buying a tree, since they are staying in Singapore and not able to travel.
Supply bottlenecks brought about by Covid-19 may also be putting customers at risk of missing out on their Christmas trees. Meanwhile, demand for shipping is on the rise due to various factors, such as retailers that have started restocking inventory for the holiday shopping season.
At the very least, nurseries have expressed their gratitude at the uptick in demand during a time where footfall within such businesses are low due to the current circumstances.
