Christmas won’t be Christmas without decorated high streets say consumers

It’s not too late to order your decorated Christmas trees as a new poll reveals consumers say Christmas won’t be the same this year if local businesses don’t decorate for the festive season.

With a question mark over the extent to which the nation can celebrate Christmas this year, new independent research by horticulture services firm phs Greenleaf shows consumers are crying out for some festive cheer on the high street.

Over half (55%) of consumers say they will be disappointed if local businesses – including shops, pubs, restaurants and workplaces – didn’t decorate for Christmas this year. Slightly more (57%) said Christmas wouldn’t be the same if local businesses don’t have decorations and trees up. Only a fifth (21%) said they didn’t think businesses should decorate as much as they normally do.

Decorating for Christmas this year is so important for Brits that the majority say it will impact their mood. More than half (55%) admitted seeing Christmas trees and decorations in local businesses would make them feel happier given the current times. And 58% of consumers went so far as to say it would ignite Christmas nostalgia and memories, especially if we aren’t able to be with loved ones this year.

Interestingly, sentiment towards decorations on the high street this Christmas was even more pronounced among women. Nearly two thirds of women admitted that Christmas wouldn’t be the same if local businesses don’t have decorations and trees up this year and would be disappointed if they didn’t (63% and 60% respectively). Almost two in three women (64%) believe that local businesses decorating for Christmas would ignite feelings of Christmas nostalgia and memories with 62% saying it would make them feel happier given the current times.

To make a difference this Christmas, phs Greenleaf has created a new, limited-edition Rainbow Christmas tree to stand out as a beacon of hope within organisations. As well as promoting a message of hope and kindness, every Rainbow Christmas tree rented will directly raise money for mental health charities.

Emily Vernon, of phs Greenleaf which rents luxury Christmas trees to businesses, said: “At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Christmas seemed a long way away and most of us struggled to believe that anything could put a dampener on Christmas celebrations. With Christmas now only a matter of weeks away, nobody is certain about how the festive season will play out and how much we will be able to celebrate with loved ones. It’s also an uncertain time for businesses who may less visitors, have staff working from home or even be closed under local lockdowns. However, no matter what, Christmas is Christmas and after such a difficult year, this is the opportunity we need to unite and seek solace with trees, lights and decorations set to boost sentiment and spread happiness. For us at Greenleaf, we have been working all year round to prepare the most beautifully decorated Christmas trees and are poised to deliver these to businesses and premises across the country.”

phs Greenleaf supplies more than 2,500 Christmas trees each year to organisations across the country including hospitals, care homes, retailers, restaurants, hotels, pubs, schools, public buildings and businesses. Its specialist Christmas production team are busy decorating artificial trees in preparation for the festive season while Greenleaf’s real trees are ready to be harvested at a sustainable farm in the Midlands. Christmas designers then install each tree on location to ensure it looks perfect and ready to welcome staff, visitors and customers. Each tree is available in a wide range of sizes – from a standard 7ft tree to as high as 30ft tall alongside the 3ft tabletop tree, decorative wreaths, garlands and floral arrangements. The themes range from the traditional Red and Gold Tree, the sparkling Champagne Fizz Tree and a welcoming Winter Spice Tree to the eye-catching Candy Cane Forest Tree. Each year, Greenleaf also creates special Toy Trees, decorated with a range of cuddly toys which can gifted from the tree to children at Christmas.

For more information, visit https://www.phsgreenleaf.co.uk/ or follow @phsGroup on Twitter and phs Greenleaf on LinkedIn