You may think it’s a little early to already be thinking about Christmas, but with October right around the corner, it’s sadly time to accept that summer is officially over and that you’ll be decorating the tree before you know it. The festive season can be a magical (but expensive) time of year, however, this year it's set to get pricier as a paper shortage could see the price of wrapping paper and Christmas cards rise by as much as 25 percent.

Coronavirus leads to international paper shortage

The coronavirus pandemic really has affected just about every aspect of our lives, even those you least expect. With everyone stuck at home with very little to do, and shops and restaurants closed as a result of numerous lockdowns, the Netherlands saw a significant increase in the number of online shopping orders and takeaways. This, in turn, led to an increase in the production of cardboard boxes. 

This trend has had a serious impact on the Dutch book industry, but new figures reveal that so-called pulp friction will also see Christmas - as well as calendars, wrapping paper, and magazines - become more expensive. A shortage of paper pulp has seen paper become 15 percent more expensive over the past few months, and with energy prices also on the rise, consumers could see paper products become between 20 and 25 percent more expensive. 

The Netherlands to see price of paper products rise

Marco Eikelenboom from Sappi, a South African paper company, says shoppers will undoubtedly notice the higher prices: “The consumer who buys magazines, Christmas cards and calendars will feel something. That is inevitable."

Dutch greeting card company, Touché Cards, told NOS that they’ve already had to increase the prices of some of their Christmas cards, but has reassured customers that the change in price will only apply to cards shipped in from China - cards produced here in Europe will remain the same price.