Black Friday

Our day did not start at 5:00 AM, nor did it involve emotionally charged mobs of shoppers, pepper spray, gunshots, or ambulances.  We had a positive day, full of familiar faces ready to purchase the perfect Christmas tree for their family.  It was a steady 12 hour day and by the end I was reflecting on why someone should visit our lot (or any well maintained lot).  Why should someone pay higher prices at our business instead of visiting a chain store for the "same tree" at cheaper prices.

I must start by saying that I shipped most of those trees to the Lowe's and Home Depots all along the eastern US.  I know what they look like, when they were harvested, how they were stored and then later transported.  I'm not saying they are mistreated, they are just handled in much more of a mass production method.  I also know where the trees come from on our tree lot in Lexington, VA.  They come from a small family operation where more time is given to each tree, and it shows.  Each frasir fir is more densly branched, thicker from top to bottom. 

The trees on our lot are the same species as most of those sold at Lowe's and Home Depot, Abies fraserii, but that is where the similarities end.  We build bins to store our trees in before they are displayed.  The bins prevent the sun from drying the trees out, they also remain cool and therefore retain their freshness.  Before we display a tree, we make a fresh cut on the trunk and we shake the tree to remove any debris and dead needles (Frasirs are evergreens and needles die all year long, so their will be a small percentage of needles that come out of every tree).  The tree is then moved to the display lot, where we place the trees in bowls full of water until they are bought by a happy family.  When a tree is purchased, we remove it from the stand put another fresh cut on it, net it up, and tie it to the top of their car.

The other difference is customer service.  We know everything about the products we sell and we are ready to answer any of your questions and calm any of your concerns, all with a smile.  A customer can expect a friendly conversation and if they become a repeat customer they can expect to be recognized.  We appreciate each and every person that comes on our lot because they are also helping make our holidays joyous.