Lands’ End Gets Fresh
Lands’ End is going green in a different way: According to an article this week in the Wisconsin State Journal, the apparel and home goods cataloger is for the first time offering fresh Christmas trees.
Michele Casper, a spokesperson for Lands’ End, tells the paper that the North Carolina-grown Fraser fir trees are cut fresh that day, then wrapped in a water-resistant carton and shipped immediately. UPS will deliver the tree within three to five days, along with a biodegradable bag for disposal later.
So would you pay $129.50 to $299.50–depending on size, plus shipping costs—for a fresh Lands’ End Christmas tree? I wouldn’t—and not because they cost more than the local nursery.
I’m a die-hard direct shopper, but there are some things you don’t buy direct, and a fresh Christmas tree is one of them. I’m not saying you need to go a tree farm and chop one down yourself—I never really got that.
But you should at least get off your couch, put on your parka and go down to the farmer’s market, nursery or seasonal stand vendor. In other words, at least pretend you have some Christmas spirit!
You know what to do when you get there: Pick out a tree, stand it up, spin it around, check for bald spots, test the needles for resilience. And after you buy one, dragging it home and/or tying it to your car is half the fun (in theory, anyway).
All this talk about Christmas trees and chores is actually starting to stress me out–Halloween isn’t even past us yet. So I’ll close with this timely thought: Fresh Christmas trees are like pumpkins–you have to pick out your own.
October 23rd, 2008 at 7:34 pm
I love catalogs too. But buying a tree direct? Nah. You’re absolutely right. You have to do it in person.
Think about it….what would “A Charlie Brown Christmas” have been like if good old Chuck didn’t go down to the local tree lot and take pity on the tiniest pine there? :-)