Hong Kong’s demand for Christmas trees has withered this year. What’s the root cause?
- Shops feel impact, slash prices as some customers take off for the holidays and others tighten belts
- Hopes pinned on brighter 2023, if borders reopen and mainland Chinese visitors return
Home retailer Ikea attracted a rush of customers in Hong Kong last Thursday after it slashed the price of fresh Christmas trees to just HK$50 (US$6.42), but some retailers have said the move was a sign of sluggish festive sales.
The 1.5-metre Nordmann fir trees sold at HK$999 until the store dropped the price to HK$599 late last month, and then to its latest bargain basement level.
“Probably everyone had a lot of stock left,” Justin Chung, founder of online florist Gift Flower HK, whose website listed a 1.8-metre noble fir at HK$1,999, said.
Chung said he bought in about 30 per cent less than the 200 trees he had for sale last year.
He added he had sold out, but that he had made a loss of HK$100 to HK$300 on the last third of them.
Chung added that Hongkongers who could not travel last year because of Covid-19 restrictions splashed out on decorating their homes with real Christmas trees.
But he suggested now that travel restrictions had eased, people preferred to save for a trip instead.
