Fife Christmas tree seller asks customers to make deliveries for festive tree discount due to staff shortages

Matthew Corrie, of Fife Christmas Trees in Dunfermline, told the BBC he thought of the concept as, since the pandemic, more people were looking for a Christmas tree delivery service.

Mr Corrie claimed he is offering a £10 discount per tree for those who collect their own tree and deliver another to someone who lives near them.

The news comes as a shortage of HGV drivers has recently led to empty supermarket shelves and problems with fuel supplies across the UK.

Charlie Spurway, owner of Country Business which grows around 200,00 Christmas trees every year and prepares to cut down 100,000 trees over the festive period (Photo: Lisa Ferguson).

He told the BBC: "As with other businesses, I'm very short staffed and cannot get vacancies filled so I had to sit down and think of a way around it.

"There is no way I can't deliver them and leave people without a tree at Christmas. There was no option but to think outside of the box.

"I’ve put this idea to friends and some laughed but others said they think people will help, especially when they know how desperate I am.

A Fife Christmas tree seller is offering discounted trees to those who collect their own tree and deliver another to someone who lives nearby as staff shortages and pandemic demand puts pressure on Christmas tree industry (Photo: Lisa Ferguson).

"Customers know of the global staff shortage so I'm sure most will be willing to help.

"Quite often people have room on their roof racks for more than one tree."

On average, Mr Corrie told the BBC he sells an average of 1,500 trees each year which are supplied by Charlie Spurway at the Harburn Estate in West Lothian.

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