It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and the best way to spread Christmas cheer is… decorating your house, top to bottom in the most festive decorations known to man. I mean nothing compares to the fun you have putting up your wreaths, your tree, and your ornaments; though shopping for your decorations is almost just as fun. There’s just an immense amount of excitement one has when they see the brick fronts of the Christmas Tree Shop stores; they know that they’ll be walking out with the best stuff you could get around the holidays. Alas, that excitement will have to be found elsewhere this holiday season and beyond since Christmas Tree Shop is no more.
Though called Christmas Tree Shop, the store carries decor for every holiday, but also sells lots of seasonal items that don’t belong to a specific holiday: bedding, furniture, gifts, and so on. The store holds such a nostalgic feel, a feel you can’t get anywhere else, especially not online. Ken Morris, managing partner at Cambridge Retail Advisors described, “People like to spend money on an experience.” He continues, “Retail is theater, and it’s always been theater, but I think it is going to go back to that. Retail is experience. You aren’t going to get that online. You aren’t going to get that in the metaverse” (CBS News).
The Christmas Tree Shop is a chain store connected to the main company, Bed Bath and Beyond. It was purchased in 2003, and later sold in 2020 to owner Handil Holding. Due to failing revenue targets, it sadly went into bankruptcy. August 12, 2023, was its official last day, ending the business entirely. Less and less people have been going to retail stores in person because online shopping is just easier and you can access it at any time. According to North Jersey.com, “Retail customers have pulled away from home goods stores, including Bed Bath & Beyond, in favor of online options such as Amazon and big-box stores like Target and Walmart.”
As reported to The Sun Chronicle, a customer mutters, “we can thank Amazon for this.” While we all love the convenience of shopping with a few clicks and a quick delivery, we miss out on the excitement and joy of the in-person shopping experience. Unfortunately, we will need to find new places to go to in order to deck our halls in the first holiday season without our beloved Christmas Tree Shop. It will certainly be missed this holiday season and throughout the year.
