The Price Before Christmas: Costs of holiday decorations head north

LA Times

BY CHRISTIAN MARTINEZ
Karla and Anthony Stine, with daughter Byrdie, 15 months, look at Christmas trees for sale at Santa & Sons Christmas Trees in Sherman Oaks. The lot has raised prices by as much as 10% this year.(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

It was late Thursday morning and Aldik Home was bustling with dozens of shoppers perusing the showroom decked out with thousands of Christmas lights and dozens of trees hung with all manner of ornaments and ribbons.

The six-decade-old Van Nuys retailer’s Christmas displays have gained some notoriety in the past, with the Kardashian family filming a holiday episode of its reality TV show inside. (In a tense exchange at the store, Kim accused Kris of attempting to copy her Christmas decorations purchased at Aldik.)

But this year, Aldik customers will have to open their wallets wider to purchase a 7.5-foot-tall Deluxe Flocked Arctic tree or a 32-foot strand of Cool White LED lights.

Prices for some items have increased by as much as 25%, as the retailer has run into a mix of supply chain issues, said store owner Larry Gold. The store has faced increased shipping and import costs, with rates jumping as high as 600% and months-long delays stemming from ongoing issues at the Port of Los Angeles.

Publish : 2021-12-05 18:04:00

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