From paperback books to seven-foot Christmas trees, the world’s leading online retail giant Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) is planning to offer everything to its shoppers. The Seattle, Washington-based company is literally “branching out” to include a new product in its online catalog - full-sized Christmas trees, according to the Associated Press. (See also, 7 Retailers Immune to Amazon's Dominance.)

Get Full-sized Christmas Trees Home Delivered

Starting November, Amazon shoppers can order the trees for doorstep delivery in Amazon boxes. They will be bound and shipped without water within 10 days of being cut, a timeframe that should be sufficient for the trees to survive shipping. Other accompaniments available for online ordering include wreaths, garlands and seasonal plants. Some of the orders will be covered by Amazon Prime and may qualify for free shipping. Buyers will be able to choose their preferred delivery date.

However, the convenience of home delivery will come at a higher cost. Compared to the nationwide average cost of $75 for a full-size Christmas tree as of 2016, Amazon plans to charge around $115 for a 7-foot Fraser fir from a farm in North Carolina. (See also, Amazon's Holiday Dominance Is A Bonus for Investors.)

Will Amazon Revamp the Christmas Tree Market?

This is not the first time Amazon is giving selling Christmas trees a go. Last year, the company sold trees up to the height of 3 feet. Other sellers using the online marketplace managed to sell bigger ones. In its continued efforts to diversify its inventory, it has recently expanded the variety of live plants it sells through its platform. 

Of the 27 million real Christmas trees purchased last year, the National Christmas Tree Association estimates that only about 1 to 2 percent were bought online. AP quotes Tim O’Connor, the executive director of the National Christmas Tree Association, who said that “picking out a tree and hauling it back home is part of the fun for families.”

However, with the world’s leading e-commerce company's robust record of overhauling the entire shopping panorama for particular products or segments, its foray into selling Christmas trees online will be an interesting development to watch. (See also, 9 Companies Amazon Is Killing.)