How stars including Kim Kardashian and Michelle Keegan sparked huge demand for smaller trees

Celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Michelle Keegan are creating a new trend of replacing a single large Christmas tree in their home with several small ones in different rooms.

Retailers and florists report a growing demand for smaller versions of both artificial and real trees. Supermarket Sainsbury’s says it has seen a 75 per cent increase in sales of its four-foot fake trees compared to last year.

Searches for smaller trees have more than doubled on the Argos website and increased by 186 percent on the B&Q site.

Kardashian puts up small trees in all her children’s bedrooms, while Brassic actress Keegan, who has since put up her decorations

In early November she mounted several miniatures above her veranda and in the £3.5million Essex mansion she shares with her reality TV star husband Mark Wright.

Meanwhile, singer Leona Lewis took to Instagram last week to share a photo of her small pine tree decorated with red ribbons. Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast host Giovanna Fletcher – wife of McFly’s Tom Fletcher – is also a fan of small trees.

Abi Wilson, head of buying at Sainsbury’s, said: ‘This trend is largely driven by customers wanting to take a total home approach to decorating, with many having two or more Christmas trees in their home of different sizes.

‘From hallways, kitchens and even children’s rooms, small trees are a quick and easy way to create a festive atmosphere in even the smallest of spaces.’

Also inspired by the likes of Brassic actress Michelle Keegan (pictured), many are opting for several smaller trees in their homes instead of one big festive fern.

Supermarket Sainsbury’s says sales of its four-foot fake trees are up 75 percent compared to last year (stock photo of several Christmas trees in pots)

John Lewis said sales of standard 6ft trees have fallen by 13 per cent this year, while sales of the cheaper 4ft versions have increased by 55 per cent.

The department store pointed out in a report last week that new-build homes are now smaller compared to a generation ago, which could be part of the reason for the change.

Christmas buyer Lisa Cherry added: ‘Small trees give people the flexibility to try out multiple looks.

‘Customers can still have their perfectly decorated main tree, while they can get a more quirky look with the smaller sidekick.’

There is also demand for small versions of real Christmas trees, which can be potted and stored all year round.

Online florist Bloom & Wild says the smaller trees, which range in price from £27 to £40, are popular because they can be sent by post as gifts.

A company spokesperson said these mini trees bring “all the fun of a real Christmas tree” to smaller spaces, and that they “also have a lower carbon footprint, both because of their small size and because they can be replanted later.” Enjoy Christmas and the following year again’. Larger trees are grown in the fields for a period of eight to ten years before being cut down for Christmas.

Smaller trees, however, are grown from seed and kept in a nursery for a few years, where they can be pruned and shaped to perfection. They are then moved to a field for another three years before being cut down.

A survey by Bloom & Wild found that more than two-thirds of people who ditched a large tree this year did so because they only have a small space.

Just under a quarter think setting up and decorating a tree is simply ‘too much effort’.