Lowe’s will deliver your Christmas tree for free this year

(CNN) Lowe's is offering free Christmas tree delivery for the first time as home-bound Americans start the holidays earlier than usual.

Beginning October 30, customers can order fresh-cut trees and wreaths online or at its stores and have them delivered within two to five days. Delivery is free as long as the order is $45 or more.

The new service is part of Lowe's broader revamp of its annual holiday sales event that includes selling more home goods and other items people wouldn't normally associate with the home improvement retailer.

Lowe's is bolstering its "Season of Savings" lineup with small kitchen appliances, workout equipment and even bedding when the event begins Thursday — an earlier start than years' prior. Some items new to the chain include record players, an air hockey table and Crayola toys. The Black Friday-like event will include "competitive deals in-store and online" through December.

"Over the past few months, we've seen our homes rise, if imperfectly, to meet all that we've needed from them," said Marisa Thalberg, Lowe's chief brand and marketing officer in a statement. "As we approach the holidays, the idea of gifting the home feels especially right."

Home improvement chains have reported sharp sales increases as consumers remodel and redesign their homes during the pandemic. Lowe's said in its most recent earnings period that sales at stores open for at least a year rose 35.1% last quarter. Online sales boomed 135%.

Like others, Lowe's is hoping to make up for the decrease in the amount of people that shop in-stores because of the pandemic and social distancing rules. Walmart, for example, got rid of its usual Black Friday sale and moved it to a month-long event that will be held partially online.