ATLANTA (CBS46) — The supply chain shortage is starting to impact where Santa hides his presents this year in Metro Atlanta.
Christmas tree prices are now shooting through the roof amid the ongoing issues with the supply chain according to retailers.
CBS46 spoke to a seasoned retailer that’s been in the business for more than 70 years.
“Yea everything is up, everything is hard to get, it is also hard to find help again,” John Lividots of Big Johns Christmas Tree lot said.
Lividots said at it’s a Christmas time that’s not on the consumers side.
“First and foremost higher prices, I mean all of the leases went up on each property so there are things like that that went up so we obviously have to account for that. Everything is significantly more expensive.”
Lividots has been working for his family owned Big John Christmas Tree lot for 20 years and he said the supply chain issues happening nationally are now hitting home in a big way, “All the nickel and dime things like the twine, the rope everything of that nature so it effects the consumer at the price point.”
The rising cost are now trickling down to Santa’s helpers as prices for trees in his lot are now up 10 to 20%.
Trees that would usually sell on average for $180 are now averaging at about $224.
“We lost our truck drivers that we had for years so that really impacted us as well.”
He said the company lost several veteran delivery drivers and replacing that support hasn’t been easy.
Making matters worse, a series of natural disasters made it harder on tree growers to keep up with demand this year.
Livodts said it was difficult to even stock their numerous different lots in Metro Atlanta and the demand is already higher than the supply.
“Yea it’s definitely still up a lot of these people are big time into Christmas so I think we will have one more big weekend and then that will be it.”
Livodts is now recommending that consumers get their Christmas tree sooner rather than later before supply runs out.
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