NORWALK, CONN. – From now until Christmas Eve, Stew Leonard's will receive daily shipments of fresh, hand-sheared Christmas trees from family owned tree plantations throughout Eastern Canada. Every customer buying their tree at Stew's receives a complimentary fresh cut and will have their tree tied to their car, plus they'll feel great knowing that the farm fresh grocer will plant two trees for every one that is cut down.
"Stew Leonard's will sell more than 50,000 Christmas trees this season, so I like to think we're the experts!" notes Stew Leonard's Norwalk Christmas Shop Manager Bill Allen. "I always tell my customers that there are three main questions to ask themselves before purchasing their Christmas tree: What is the ceiling height in the room where it will be displayed? Do you hang heavy ornaments? Do you want a fragrant tree? If you come to Stew's with answers to those three questions, we can immediately help you find the best tree for you and your family." Tree Types Stew Leonard's sells four types of Christmas trees:
| Type | Features | Height | Price Range |
| Fraser fir | Stew's BEST SELLER! Sturdy branches for heavier ornaments, dark green needles, slight fragrance. Great needle retention. | Ranges in height from 5' to 10'+. | $39.99 – $119.99 |
| Balsam | Our most fragrant tree. Dense, strong branches and a dark green color. | Ranges in height from 4' – 8'. | $19.99 – $44.99 |
| Douglas firs* | Best needle retention! Softer needles, wide body, weaker branches. | Ranges in height from 6-10'+. | $34.99 – $99.99 |
| Noble firs* | Best for heavy ornaments! Very strong branches, long cut life, upturned needles. | Ranges in height from 7' – 8'. | $89.99 |
*Stew Leonard's in Danbury and Newington, Conn. do not carry Douglas or Noble firs. The store in Newington additionally does not carry a 10'+ Fraser.
Steps for picking and enjoying the perfect tree
Stew Leonard's tree experts recommend buying a tree that is one foot shorter than your ceiling to allow enough room to top the tree with a star or angel. To check freshness, remove a needle and bend it in half. If the needle snaps, the tree is fresh! Before taking your tree home, get a fresh cut of at least ½-inch to 1-inch to eliminate the heaviest build-up of sap and make it easier for the tree to take up water in the stand. Also make sure to get the bottom branches trimmed to allow for at least six-inches of the trunk to stand comfortably in the tree stand. Customers should never shave the bark off their tree; the tree actually "drinks" through the bark, not the stump. Stew's tree experts also recommend adding Stew's Miracle Tree to the tree stand, which is a special formula developed with their growers that replenishes the tree's nutrients immediately. Simply fill the tree stand with one part Stew's Miracle Tree and two parts warm water. When you get home, place your tree away from a heat source and direct sunlight and keep your tree hydrated with Miracle Tree and plenty of water.
Lights and Decorations
Stew Leonard's Christmas Shop sells a variety of lights, ornaments, and decorations to help deck the halls. For customers looking to update their old Christmas tree lights, LED lights have become an increasingly popular option. LED lights are brighter than incandescent, use less electricity and give customers the option of attaching more strands per run (exactly how many strands that can be connected will depend upon the manufacturer). Cool White LED lights will lend a bluish tone while Warm White and Multicolor LED lights will give off a look closer to incandescent bulbs.
Stew's Christmas Shop also offers decorated and undecorated roping and wreaths. Customers can choose from wreaths made out of Fraser Fir, Juniper, Balsam, Noble Fir, mixed Oregon Greens, and a fragrant Cedar & Juniper combination (selection will vary by store). Roping is offered in White Pine, Western Cedar, Noble Fir and Boxwood and comes in a variety of lengths. To decorate a fence line, choose roping at least 25 yards in length; to decorate a doorway, about 6 yards will do. When using wreaths and roping indoors, customers should spritz water on their greenery periodically throughout the season to keep them looking fresh.
About Stew Leonard's
Stew Leonard's, a family-owned and operated fresh food store founded in 1969, has four stores in Norwalk, Danbury, and Newington, Conn. and Yonkers, N.Y. Stew's earned its nickname, the "Disneyland of Dairy Stores" because of its country-fair atmosphere, with costumed characters and animated entertainment throughout the store that keep children entertained while parents shop. Stew Leonard's legion of loyal shoppers is largely due to the stores' passionate approach to customer service: "Rule #1 — The Customer is Always Right"; Rule #2 – If the Customer is Ever Wrong, Re-Read Rule #1." This principle is so essential to the foundation of the company that it is etched in a three-ton granite rock at each store's entrance. The company's culture is built around an acronym for S.T.E.W.: Satisfy the customer; Teamwork gets it done; Excellence makes it better; WOW makes it fun. For more information, visit Stew Leonard's website at www.stewleonards.com.
Source: Stew Leonard's
