Festive Foliage: Square Data Reveals the Best Time to Buy a Christmas Tree

As consumers consider the best time to purchase their tree, Square analyzed data from thousands of Christmas tree sellers in 2023 to uncover the most popular time to buy, along with how tree prices fluctuate throughout the season.

Last year, the largest surge in tree sales occurred on Black Friday, with the average tree costing around $112. For those who waited and purchased on the first Saturday in December, the second most popular day for tree shopping, prices dropped to $105.

“The cheapest time to buy a Christmas tree is right before Christmas. The best time is whichever day maximizes joy in your household,” said Square Research Lead Ara Kharazian.

The closer it gets to Christmas, the further tree prices tend to fall as demand starts to taper off. By the week before Christmas, over 90% of trees had been sold, and sellers were reducing prices to clear out inventory before the end of the season. Consumers that put off their purchase until then saved 32% compared to Black Friday prices, with the average cost coming down to $85.

“We find the demand for real Christmas trees has grown substantially over the years. Even though we grow a lot of Christmas trees, we also bring in several hundred from other farms so we can meet demand. Our business opens the day after Thanksgiving on Black Friday and we generally see a third of our sales for the season on that day, selling a tree off the farm almost every 17 seconds. Our season never really ends since throughout the year we’re either planning, budgeting, or planting and caring for the trees so that we can continue to brighten up everyone’s Christmas with our trees.” - Tom Dull, co-owner and general manager of Dull’s Tree Farm located in Thorntown, Indiana which began by planting its first trees in 1985.