TRENDS

Redwood City, CA-October 23, 2006-With the holiday buying season fast approaching, retailers predict that pre lit artificial Christmas trees will be decking more halls this year than ever before. Artificial Christmas tree sales showed a 10% growth year over year in the past five years, according to the National Christmas Tree Association, with U.S. consumers purchasing 9.2 million artificial Christmas trees and spending $665 million in that time.

Balsam Hill™, a top domestic, pre lit artificial Christmas tree manufacturer, predicts a strong "growing season" this year for polethylene trees. "Polyethylene tree sales have doubled to comprise 20% of all artificial trees, up from only 10% last year," says Thomas Harman, Founder and CEO of Balsam Hill™.

Harman says that polyethylene, or PE trees, generally have the best quality, color and shape of any type of artificial trees. Balsam Hill™'s own PE brand, True Needle™, is the company's star seller. "Our True Needle™ technology is the best needle technology for realistic, lifelike tree needles, made to match the color, shape, and texture of real tree needles. And their hinged design is as easy to set up as unfolding an umbrella."

Artificial Christmas trees have no mess and can be stored in the garage or closet and re-used for many years. Whether consumers select one due to allergies, added fire safety, or for the simplicity and ease of an artificial Christmas tree, they can take comfort knowing that artificial trees also continue to be made with top quality in mind. The technology in artificial Christmas trees has definitely come a long way.

For example, pre lit artificial Christmas trees are now extremely popular, cornering the market with 90% of total artificial trees. But although clear lights are still favored over multi-colored lights by over 80% of the market, consumers can now have their cake and eat it too. Balsam Hill™'s Color+Clear™ lights allow buyers to change the lights from clear to multicolor, or both, all with a remote control.

While pre lit or decorated Christmas trees are expected to outshine the competition this season, Harman and other tree manufacturers expect that the upside-down trees that turned last year's holiday on its head are a thing of the past. Other media ploys, like the fiber-optic tree, are also no longer as strong, likely due to the high ticket price and are limited to only smaller trees now.

LED lighted tree sales are expected to be stronger this year because of their energy efficiency, but a vast majority of holiday shoppers still prefer the warm feeling of incandescent lighted trees, proving that even with modernity constantly encroaching, tradition still plays a very large part in the holiday season.