quote:
From a purely PR level alone this is a bad move. The local guy trying to make a few extra bucks around the holidays is now gonna get ruined by that data crunching job killing monopoly. Little upside.

Maybe. But the local guy has been upselling us on trees for centuries.

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Posted by Pettifogger

I don't really care, Margaret

Member since Feb 2012

87240 posts

Posted on 10/17/18 at 11:38 am to RedRifle

I think there is enough charm in your neighborhood tree lot/farm that Amazon won't kill them (I hope).

Hopefully their target is Lowes/Home Depot, which I care less about. There is nothing meaningful about buying from big box stores, so fair play to Amazon in going after those sales, IMO.

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Posted by RedRifle

Austin/NO

Member since Dec 2013

8334 posts

Posted on 10/17/18 at 11:44 am to Pettifogger

You're probably right.

quote:
The National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA), an organization whose network includes big and small farms alike, estimates that the holiday hallmark was a $3.9 billion industry in 2016, with over $2 billion coming from real trees. However, the year-to-year growth of artificial trees was more impressive that year; 18.6 million fake trees were sold in 2016 versus 12.5 million in 2015.

quote:
Many small farms also sell their trees on-site, but O’Connor isn’t worried about their business. He speculates that the type of consumer that already chooses this atmosphere to pick out their tree—the merrymakers who enjoy the nippy December weather, the carols sounding over loudspeakers, and the rows of firs hiding their perfect choice—won’t be so easily drawn away by Amazon. “The people go out into the country to a farm probably drive by a half a dozen of [other tree lots],” says O’Connor. “They drove to the farm because they want that experience. It’d surprise me if that same customer stayed home and ordered online.

quote:
some consumers need to see their tree first, and a full 23% of Christmas trees sold nationwide are cut down for a specific buyer.

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Posted by greenwave

Member since Oct 2011

3879 posts

Posted on 10/17/18 at 12:21 pm to Morty

quote:
From a purely PR level alone this is a bad move. The local guy trying to make a few extra bucks around the holidays is now gonna get ruined by that data crunching job killing monopoly. Little upside

Na. The article I read says 7ft trees will be $115 delivered... that's a lot.

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Posted by AA77

Member since Jan 2016

3851 posts

Posted on 10/17/18 at 12:23 pm to Morty