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BUSINESS Saturday 28 November 2020
Many turn to real Christmas trees as bright spot amid virus

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Ani "Yes, it's a product, it's a
Sirois, a respiratory nurse, decoration that you put
has spent months caring in your home, but getting
for coronavirus patients at a real tree involves the
a Portland, Oregon, hospi- choosing, the hunting for it,
tal, and she's only getting the family outing. It really is
busier as infections — and a memory maker, it's a day
hospitalizations — surge be- you spend together, and
fore the holidays. it really becomes much
But on a recent sunny bigger than the tree itself,"
day, COVID-19 seemed Gray said. "It's really making
far away as she, her hus- family memories and peo-
band and their 2-year-old ple really seem to gravitate
daughter roamed a Christ- to that right now."
mas tree farm in search of The growing interest in real
the perfect evergreen for a trees comes after the indus-
holiday season unlike any try has struggled to attract
other. The family was tree- new, younger customers in
shopping nearly a week recent years as more Amer-
before Thanksgiving and, icans buy artificial trees.
for the first time, they were Between 75% and 80% of
picking their own tree in- Americans who have a
stead of buying a pre-cut Christmas tree now have
one. Freshly cut Christmas trees are bundled for shipment at McKenzie Farms on Saturday, Nov. 20, an artificial one, and the
"It's nice to have home 2020 in Oregon City, Ore. $1 billion market for fake
be a separate safe space Associated Press trees has been growing by
away from the hospital, about 4% a year — despite
and whether we can have mand, with many opening days ahead of what we've tree. With holiday parades them being reusable.
a gathering with family or well before Thanksgiving. seen in the past. We've and festivals canceled, stir- No one tracks annual sales
not, I know we'll have our Businesses say they are see- never seen the demand crazy families also are look- of real trees because in-
own little tree with the ing more people and ear- like we've had this year," ing for a safe way to create dependent tree lots are so
purple lights, and that'll be lier than ever. said McKenzie Cook, who special memories. scattered, but those in the
something small to look for- At some pick-your-own- ships between 1.8 million Plus, fresh-cut Christmas business estimate about
ward to," she said. tree farms, for example, and 2 million trees a year trees are largely displayed 20 million trees or more are
The real Christmas tree in- customers sneaked in combined from McKenzie outside, where there's a sold each year, most of
dustry, which has been bat- well before Thanksgiving Farms in Oregon and Hap- lower risk of viral spread, them at big box stores such
tling increased interest in to tag the perfect tree to py Holiday Christmas Trees said Marsha Gray, execu- as Costco and Home De-
artificial trees, is glad to see cut down once the busi- in North Carolina. tive director of the Christ- pot.
that more Americans ap- ness opened. As demand A number of reasons are mas Tree Promotion Board. Oregon, the nation's No. 1
pear to be flocking to fresh- surges, big box stores are driving the uptick in interest. The national organization supplier of fresh-cut trees,
cut evergreens this season, seeking fresh trees up to a More Americans are stay- says industry research tells expects to ship nearly 6 mil-
seeking a bright spot amid week earlier than last year, ing home for the holidays them many people who lion evergreens this season
the virus's worsening toll. and Walmart is offering free amid pandemic restrictions put up an artificial tree last to places as far away as Ja-
It's early in the season, but home delivery for the first and are realizing that for year plan to buy a real tree pan and China. Other top
both wholesale tree farm- time. the first time in years — or this year, and most are cit- tree exporters are Washing-
ers and small cut-your-own "The season is running ap- maybe ever — they will be ing the pandemic as the ton state, North Carolina
lots are reporting strong de- proximately six to seven home to water a fresh-cut reason. and Pennsylvania.q

Disney to lay off 4,000 more employees amid pandemic

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — workers. The company did tions-in-force," the docu-
The Walt Disney Co. an- not say how many of the ment said.
nounced plans to lay off additional 4,000 employ- The company also said
4,000 more employees ees work at the California they may make more cuts
largely due to the effects of or Florida theme parks. in spending such as reduc-
the COVID-19 pandemic. In the SEC document filed ing film and television con-
The announcement by on the eve of Thanksgiving tent investments and addi-
the company was made Day, the company said it tional furloughs and layoffs.
in a U.S. Securities and Ex- also put 37,000 employees In Florida, the company has
change Commission filing not scheduled for termina- been limiting attendance
earlier this week, saying tion on furlough as a result at its parks and changing
32,000 employees at the of the pandemic. protocols to allow for social
parks, experiences and "Due to the current cli- distancing by limiting char-
products division will be ter- mate, including COVID-19 acters' meet and greets.
minated in the first half of impacts, and changing en- Disney's parks closed in
fiscal year 2021, which be- vironment in which we are March as the pandemic In this Thursday, July 2, 2020, file photo, cars drive under a sign
gan last month. operating, the company started spreading in the greeting visitors near the entrance to Walt Disney World, in Lake
In late September, the has generated efficiencies U.S. The Florida parks re- Buena Vista, Fla.
company had already an- in its staffing, including limit- opened in the summer, Associated Press
nounced plans to termi- ing hiring to critical business but the California parks
nate 28,000 theme park roles, furloughs and reduc- have yet to reopen pend- ing state and local govern- ment approvals.q