In brief: It's strange to think of a time when Amazon only sold books. Now, almost 25 years since Jeff Bezos launched Amazon.com, you can buy virtually anything from its online store. From November, this will include full-size Christmas trees.
According to the Associated Press, the trees on offer will include varieties such as Douglas firs, Norfolk Island pines, and Fraser firs. A 7-foot Fraser fir from a North Carolina farm will cost you $115, and the trees will be available as part of Amazon's Prime free shipping service.
Amazon says the trees will ship without water in a large box, and each one will be sent out within ten days of being cut down, so they should survive the shipping process.
It's been noted that while Amazon did sell smaller trees under three-feet in height last year, and merchants have sold full-size trees through the site, this marks the first time Amazon itself will be selling the larger variants. The company is also offering wreaths for $50, garlands, and other holiday decorations, including a "$25 red-leafed plant with a decorative candy cane speared into the soil."
While there's a level of convenience that comes with ordering a Christmas tree from the comfort of your own home and having it delivered, traditional sellers aren't concerned. Tim O'Connor, the executive director of the National Christmas Tree Association, said that for many families, going out together to choose their own tree is a tradition. He added that only around one to two percent of the 27 million live Christmas trees purchased last year were bought online, and most of these were from the grower's sites. "It's so small, it's almost undetectable," O'Connor said.