Santa & Sons sees a spike in online Christmas tree sales

The Oregon-based business will complete 25 years of tree sales this holiday season and plans to stay for at least another five years. 

By Rosemary Villalonga and Gabriela Martinez, Staff Writers

Santa and Sons Christmas Trees display their noble firs at Valley College's Burbank and Coldwater parking lot as the holiday season approaches. (Isabel Sol for the Valley Star)

The arrival of Christmas trees on parking lots around the nation always signals the start of the holiday season. This year, Santa & Sons Christmas Trees returns to its familiar place on the corner of Burbank Boulevard and Coldwater Canyon.  

Mark Rohlfs and his wife, Patricia, founded Santa & Sons Christmas tree farm in Oregon in 1983. They began selling trees at Valley College in 2001, and now their daughter, Natalie, runs the lot. This season marks their 25th year of selling trees at the Van Nuys location. 

“It's near our house and it looks nice,” said customer Deborah Weatherford as she made her return to the lot for the third straight year. "It’s a nice vibe.” 

The Rohlfs' stated they have also seen a spike in first-time buyers at their lot and online. Mark suspects the increase in the cost of goods and services, due to the tariffs on artificial trees, may be responsible for the increased sales. 

“We're expecting a small bump in sales this year as less people travel for the holidays,” said Mark Rohlfs.

The Deloitte Holiday Travel Survey found that Americans plan to spend an average of $1,595 this season, a 10 percent decrease from last year. Respondents also expect to reduce their spending on both retail goods by 14 percent and experiences, like travel, by 6 percent.

According to Mark Rohlfs, prices of his trees do not change much each year, and the business continues to offer a variety of trees: noble fir, nordmann fir, douglas fir and silver tip trees ranging from 3 to 19 feet tall.

 Following the completion of the sales season, they plan to sign a new five-year contract, securing their commitment to sell on the same corner through 2030.

One other trend Mark has seen this year is the increase in young people ordering trees from their computers. 

“We have had quite a few first-time real tree buyers ordering through our online sales,” he said. “I think a lot of younger people just prefer the real thing.”

The lot offers a U-Pick video call concierge service for those who prefer to choose their tree remotely. Additionally, delivery and installation is also available and recommended for their taller trees. 

Santa & Sons is open Monday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Their final day of tree sales is Dec. 23.