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Retailers see green
in holiday tree sales
Buyers rush to find a fresh tree
as many sites report sellouts
For years, Rochelle Gregson has gotten her Christmas tree only days before the holiday.
But yesterday, her tradition ended.
Afraid there wouldn't be a Christmas tree left to buy on the island if she waited any longer, Omura picked up one of about six trees left in a Nuuanu lot. Many other residents also flocked to buy trees this weekend in hopes of grabbing one before they're sold out.
With more than two weeks to go before Christmas, many seasonal tree sellers and big-box retailers statewide say they don't have any more fresh trees. Some sold their last trees this weekend, while others finished up their tree sales more than a week ago.
"We started slow," said Chris Moffitt, assistant store manager of Home Depot in Iwilei, "but now they're going fairly fast."
The store has sold about 7,000 trees and has about 200 left. Moffitt said he expects to sell out before midweek.
A new Christmas tree shipment wouldn't arrive in time for the holiday, so some residents are being pointed to artificial trees, which are also selling fast.
"That's what's been going out the door," said Berta Stringer, assistant manager for Wal-Mart in Hilo.
Kahului's Wal-Mart was out of fresh trees Thursday. This weekend, a manager said, the store sold the last of their artificial Christmas trees.
Meanwhile, Kmarts in Kapolei and Honolulu are both out of trees.
The last trees were sold more than a week ago, said Honolulu's Kmart front-end manager Gloria Abatayo.
The situation stands in contrast to last Christmas, when a surplus forced some Oahu retailers to sell their trees for as little as a dollar. Some stores even gave their trees to charities, and several tree lots ended up throwing whole trees away.
"Last year, a lot of places over-ordered," said Dasha Nixon, co-manager of Kahului's Wal-Mart, which brought in 200 fewer trees this year than in 2003.
"This year, it looks like they under-ordered."
That means stores were able to sell their trees at full price through the season.
At Wal-Mart in Kapolei, even the last trees to be sold weren't discounted, said manager Samantha Cho.
Gregson, who was shopping with a friend yesterday, had to go to a couple of stores before she found one that was still selling trees. She snatched up a $50 tree at a stand near Safeway on Pali Highway.
"I think we're just behind the eight ball," she said, with a laugh. "We're just late."
The lot, a benefit for Saint Francis School, sold about 60 trees in four hours yesterday, said art teacher Cledenice Severson.
The school was able to take over the space for free courtesy of the lot's original seller, whose trees were sold out Saturday.
Residents on the neighbor islands have also been left scrounging for trees.
KTA's Puainako Center on the Big Island has been out of Christmas trees for days.
The last of 800 trees at Star Market in Maui Mall sold out last Monday, said assistant store manager Chad Suzuki. The other two Star Markets on Maui also sold out.
"We're getting about 15 to 20 calls a day" from people asking whether the store still has trees in stock, Suzuki said.
At the Saint Francis lot on Pali Highway yesterday afternoon, Etta Moiha was measuring trees for her living room.
She said she had passed up squatty, brown trees -- the last of the season -- at other retailers earlier in the day.
"I normally shop about this time," she said, throwing her hands up in the air.
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