How to Compete with Box Stores

Box Stores have certainly shaken up the Fraser Fir Christmas Tree Market.  Their trees are generally middle to high end #2 grades or field run, low prices, poor displays, clearly marked prices and convenient. But no experience for the family, no running through the trees, no music, no hot chocolate, no Santa, no one making wreaths, drilling trees and you do not see the same cheerful lot workers year in and year out. Bottom line box store are extremely weak on fun and family experience and retailing top quality trees.

If you are going to compete with Box stores selling Christmas trees you have to be strong where the box stores are weak. First, buy top quality trees that are drop dead gorgeous. I have a friend that sells 1200 Fraser Fir Christmas Trees within a hundred yards of a Lowes Store. His trees retail for $20 more on average. There is a real advantage in being this close, customers can easily compare and see the quality difference and obvious 1200 families are willing to pay almost 50% more for a top quality tree.

If you are not this close to a box store then at least have some good quality number 2’s on the lot that you can match Lowes price with. Often if customers know that they can buy the same thing at your lot as they can at Lowes at the same price then they will start looking at and buy the better trees.

Make sure you do a fantastic job of displaying these trees. We like stand straight stands because you can display with these stands, keep the trees in water and sell the stand and put up a new one. They are cheap $8.00 wholesale and the customer can put up their tree in 30 seconds and they will keep coming back to you year after year because they love your Fraser Fir Christmas Trees and you’re Stand Straight Stands.

Capitalize on a box stores second weakness. Experience. Do the decorations and lights. If you have room build a maze, have a nativity scene, petting zoo (rent a reindeer, they are available), do a light show, have a movie night, do the food, have the fire pit. Use your imagination. As mentioned elsewhere some of the best Christmas tree retailers have drive through or walk through Christmas light shows.

A box stores big strength is low prices. Take that away with number twos that you sell at an equal or lower price. The majority of your customers will buy the great trees but have a tree for everyone. Then you can even beat their price by having a few number 3’s on hand.

Then finally advertise and coop like crazy. Get your website, consider Google ad words if appropriate for your area, hand out fliers, get the boy scouts, girl scouts civitans to use your trees as a fund raiser. They don’t run the lot or buy the trees but for every tree they sell they get $5-10. Each club will bring its members, families and friends to your lot to buy trees and wreaths.

If you do all these things over time you will built a great Fraser Fir Christmas Tree retailing business and though you will never sell as many trees as a box store with all its advertising and customer base. You will have a great business.