Christmas Trees at EDT

[eastdulwichflowers]

Hi East Dulwich ,as everyone knows now there is a large Commercial Tree Selling operation on Goose Green .This company is from Sheffield and have been given permission by Southwark Council Events Department.Our flower shop is based opposite the East Dulwich Tavern and the trees outside the pub are part of our Xmas Tree business every year.This part of our business helps us and other local traders sustain our ability to trade the rest of the year in the quiet times. There are local traders who trade all year round in East Dulwich , the bad weeks and the good weeks,and some who pay street traders licenses every week and some like ourselves who have shops who pay business rates. Competition is good for local business but as in this case small businesses cannot compete with big business.Please support your local Xmas Tree sellers, whether it be us, or any of the numerous ones that you all usually go to. This company Tree Amigos , who are Greenfields Xmas Trees Ltd, are probably going to have a an impact on some who rely on the Tree selling for their living .

[researcher]

> This company Tree Amigos , who are Greenfields Xmas Trees Ltd.

What information is there that they are trading as Tree Amigos?

As far as I can see there are two distinct and unrelated companies.

1. Greenfields Christmas Trees, Ltd. Incorporated 2007, number 06383179. Based in Sheffield.

Sole joint owners: Simon and Peter Roe. Steven Palmer joined them as a director in 2018. Companies House record: https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/06383179.

2. Tree Amigos Ltd. Incorporated 2011, number 07867103. Based in Sussex (previously in N.London).

Sole owner and director: Iain Hickinbottom.

Companies House record: https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/07867103.

His current active website http://www.treeamigos.uk/about-us/ shows him as a long established and qualified tree surgeon. The N.London connection is derived from the CH record and this ?outdated webpage https://local.standard.co.uk/company/438060529008640.

[nxjen]

This is a link to Tree Amigos - http://www.treeamigos.org/ . Follow the link to ?Our Outlets? and input Dulwich and the site on Goose Green shows. Same names as Greenfields are shown on ?The Amigos? Page, same company number shown on the ?Contact? Page.

As far as I can see, there is no link to ?Tree Amigos Ltd? shown in your post.

[TreacleRabbit]

One of the problems with all this is that the experience of buying outside the EDT is usually pretty miserable. We usually do buy there because it?s close, without needing a car. It?s also very expensive. It?s no fun. This year we did buy at Tree Amigo - it was good fun. The kids were entertained with a tree maze, a hut to hide in and the sellers were friendly, patient, and couldn?t do any more to help, showing lots of trees and spending time discussing it.

It?s the poor service all the other years, which means that a new competitor has an edge. They are still U.K. growers and sellers.

[ken78]

a bit of friendly competition never hurt any one, and will give the customer a bit of choice, if you sell a good thing at a good price you will take money,if your expensive and sell below par then you will have to have a think about it.

competition never hurt any one

[Gardenman]

As a local garden business & a small business who sells Christmas trees for charity, I feel East Dulwich Flowers have a point . They pay Southwark their business rates year after year in order to offer their business & services to local people. I find it strange Southwark council allow a business in clear competition from a long way away to trade against local traders. This does not serve our community & May affect our high street in times of huge pressure from the Internet. I think if the council were to offer free business rates, that would level the playing field & be fair competition!

[ken78]

why have the local sellers not done this a long time ago ? if the new sellers can get to rent this why have the dulwich traders done this as i say if the dulwich traders price and quality are good then you have not to worry as i am sure you have a great customer following. if you read another thread on the forum about christmas trees

shell Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> At the risk of being very unpopular I'm afraid I

> did buy my tree from tree amigos. I can only carry

> the tree home from there or from the EDT and I

> visited both. I really wanted to buy from EDT but

> it was just a much nicer experience with the new

> guys. Super friendly and knowledgable with more

> tree options and it felt more relaxed and

> christmassy wandering around the green than trying

> to negotiate the roundabout. They also have really

> clear pricing whereas the EDT seem to just make up

> the prices depending who they're speaking to (

> myself and my husband were given different prices

> for the same tree )

>

> Sorry that others disapprove but I also live on

> the green and just wanted to give a balance - we

> don't all hate them!

this is a joke " myself and my husband were given different prices

> for the same tree"

and you wonder why you lose trade are the dulwich traders just playing at selling trees ???

[Gardenman]

Before I started selling trees , I researched the other traders in the area & found they all showed their prices & were all knowledgeable about their product. I published the prices here on the forum, tree care information & that this is again for charity. My trees are ecologically sourced,free delivery, great quality & the cheapest I have found.

I suppose I could add a costume to entertain the kids on delivery, but I suspect I would frighten them ))))

By using local traders you are keeping local traders in business.

[EPB]

?By using local traders you are keeping them in business?

True. A clear case of enlightened self-interest.

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

I got my tree from EDT this year and I am happy with it. I would suggest that you mark the prices up however in future and offer a few more choices of tree types if possible.

Last year I got my tree from Gardenman and I was very happy with the tree from him too.

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

Just to add that the chap at EDT was perfectly pleasant when my child and I got our tree from him. We had no issues with the service.

[dbboy]

Punters have a choice, either one of the "many" seasonal tree sellers, the new bunch on the green, Homebase, B&Q etc, Lidl or New Covent Garden Flower Market where I suspect the majority of tree's sold in London will have come from.

[madhvi mellish]

This company has a very poor sustainability statement on its website, doesn't replant trees for sure and some if its trees come form Norway, some from sheffield and some scotland. It is polluting heavily and in this age of climate change it is fairly inexcusable to pollute with inefficient diesel engines as well as tear up trees for our for 3-4 weeks of our pleasure without replacing them for sure. Yes its a "cute" enterprise but is the really enough.

ook carefully for companies that at least commit to replant trees.

I too live on the green and it is an eyesore. The chaps working there are friendly and Ive engaged them in conversation about this issues and they are not able to do anything as mere employers but agree with the sentiment on sustainability .The one of the south circular and lordship alone junction at least lets trees grow to their 9 yearpotetial , replants and is certified for FSC, plus plants a tree in africa for exhibition tree bought. Our purchases matter!