LIHU’E — Representatives of local stores reported varying degrees of success selling Christmas trees on Kaua’i this year, with success depending largely on quality and pricing of trees, and “customer loyalty.”
But tree sales have proved to be a major disappointment for Ted and Toni Hagenbucher of Kenton, Ore., this year. The couple has come to Kaua’i the past 19 years to sell trees in cooperation with Stan Kono and the Waipouli Variety store.
“At this time last year we had nine trees. This year we have about 300,” Ted Hagenbucher said Monday as he shook his head from the Christmas tree lot he and Kono maintain at Roxy Square in Kapa’a. “We’ll be lucky if we can clear expenses.”
Hagenbucher noted this year was one of the slower years in terms of sales.
Prices that were established on their opening day, the Friday following Thanksgiving, have been slashed to encourage people to buy.
“We’ve been giving (trees) to charity, too,” Hagenbucher added. “But, we still have about 300 more. At this rate, we may end up having to dump them.”
The Hagenbuchers shipped the same number of trees as last year, but traffic for the aromatic trees slowed beyond their expectations.
Hagenbucher said he believes the opening of Home Depot in Lihu’e this year has hurt his Christmas-tree sales. He estimates the new hardware retailer brought in about 3,000 trees into the Kaua’i marketplace.
Christmas looms eight days away, and despite the tree surplus, the Hagenbuchers said they plan to return to Kaua’i in 2004, opening as they usually do on the day after Thanksgiving.
Sales have stalled at Wal-Mart after brisk sales immediately after Thanksgiving Day, according to one employee who asked not to be identified. Management representatives were not immediately available for comment.
Wal-Mart’s management brought in about 400 trees this year. Six-to-seven-foot Douglas fir trees sold for $24, three-to-five-foot Noble fir trees sold for $25, and five-to-six-foot Noble firs and taller sold for between $49 and $55.
The trees went on sale the day after Thanksgiving, but all the cheaper-priced Douglas firs were sold out in a week, the employee said.
To promote sales, Wal-Mart management recently dropped the price of the five-to-six-foot Noble firs to $15, and the price of six-to-seven-foot Noble firs to $25.
The employee said the lower prices might do the trick in selling 100-plus trees. Unsold trees are watered down and are put in refrigerated containers.
The Wal-Mart employee said sales have been slow this year “because we are competing against other companies that are offering their trees at a cheaper price.”
It is a formula that has worked for Kmart, where store officials brought in two containers totaling 1,000 trees, of which 800 were lower-priced Douglas firs and the other 200 Noble firs.
Douglas firs ranging from four to six feet initially sold for $24.99, and five-to-seven-foot Noble firs were initially sold for $44.99, according to Jarett Chytka, Kmart general manger.
Chytka said tree sales have been brisk and smooth, but to accelerate the sale of the remaining 100 to 150 trees, the price of four-to-six-foot Douglas firs has been dropped to $19.99, and the price of five-to-seven-foot Noble firs to $34.99.
Kmart management decided to bring in more Douglas firs for sale because they have been good sellers, Chytka said.
People lining up to buy trees on Thanksgiving Day was a good sign, Chytka said.
“Thanksgiving Day we had the biggest turnout,” he said. “We went through probably a quarter of a container just on Thanksgiving Day and the day after.”
Leonard Peters, general manager for Home Depot, said he couldn’t discuss specific numbers of trees he brought in. He noted, however, that six-to-seven-foot Douglas firs were initially marked at $36.88, although some were offered for $23 just two weeks ago.
Peters also said six-to-seven-foot Noble firs were selling earlier for $48.
“We are now selling the Douglas firs for $22.90 and the Noble firs at the same price ($22.90) until they are gone,” Peters said.
