Walmart delivering live Christmas trees, installing lights amid coronavirus in a different holiday season
Home Depot and Lowe's are offering up similar services amid online ordering surge
Walmart is taking a page from Home Depot and Lowe's holiday playbook.
The retailer is offering up a free Christmas tree delivery service this holiday season amid a time when rising coronavirus cases and bitter cold temperatures are keeping consumers bundled up at home more than ever.
LOWE'S OFFERING FREE CHRISTMAS TREE DELIVERY IN TIME FOR HALLOWEEN
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMT | WALMART INC. | 87.19 | +0.59 | +0.69% |
| HD | THE HOME DEPOT INC. | 400.00 | -6.74 | -1.66% |
| LOW | LOWE'S COMPANIES INC. | 262.98 | +3.59 | +1.38% |
Consumers can order a tree online to have it delivered to their home for free, and they can also order light installation, according to Walmart's Wednesday announcement. It marks an effort by the company to capitalize on the surge of online ordering during the fourth quarter, normally a pivotal time for most retailers.
"We understand the holiday season could look different this year," Walmart wrote in a blog post. "It may include staying home more than usual or never having to leave your neighborhood to see lit up homes."
Although the company is making it easier for families to enjoy the holidays, which fall on the backdrop of a resurging pandemic, the services come at a cost.
In most cases, the delivery is free. However, the price of the tree itself can range from $54 for a Real Douglas Fir tabletop tree to upward of $900 for an 8- to 9-foot Balsam Fir tree.
Christmas light installation for a single-story home will cost $129 and notch upward of $200 for a two-story home.
However, as the old adage goes, whatever goes up must eventually come down. Removing the lights costs an extra fee, ranging from $99 for a single home to $160 for a two-story home.
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The move mimics other retailers that have begun to offer the service in an effort to increase online sales while consumers remain holed up indoors.
Lowe's customers were able to order fresh-cut trees, wreaths and tree containers online as early as Oct. 30, with free delivery on orders of at least $45.
Home Depot also offers a range of Christmas trees from $50 to $200 that can be delivered to a consumer's home for free.