6 Things You Didn't Know About Christmas Tree Shops
You're probably obsessed with their super-low prices and fun finds, but do you really know the story behind the retailer that asks, "Don't you just love a bargain?" Check out what we've learned about the popular store:
1. It started as summertime Christmas gift shop in Cape Cod.
As the name suggests, the store did start as a store all about Christmas. Mark and Alice Matthews opened The Christmas Tree Gift Shop in a barn in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts in the 1950s. Unlike most holiday stores, The Christmas Tree Gift Shop was open May through October, when vacationers were headed to Cape Cod.
2. The owners lived right above it.
In 1970, Chuck and Doreen Bilezikian bought the shop and moved their family into the apartment above it. Eventually, they exapanded the store beyond ornaments and gifts, stocking vacation items like beach towels and sunscreen as well — and they rest, as they say, is history.
3. There's a reason for that extra "s."
Its official name is Christmas Tree Shops (plural!). That's because the original location was made up of a trio of buildings: the Front Shop, the Back Shop and the Barn Shop (which primarily sold penny candy).
4. Most of the New England locations are designed to embrace the charm of old buildings.
Bed Bath & Beyond bought the company in 2003 for $200 million and has since expanded it nationwide. These days there are more than 80 locations, many named Christmas Tree Shops And That! ( a mouthful, frankly) to better reflect the wide range of products they sell.
Just the Cape Cod location does. And, another Massachusetts location has a lighthouse theme.
5. The name is misleading now.
It's not all about Christmas. In fact, it's mostly a discount store, selling furniture, kitchen supplies and themed goods for all holidays. Because it's a liquidation outlet, Christmas Tree Shops buys merchandise that doesn't sell elsewhere at lower costs.
6. Today, it's much bigger than a few little shops in Cape Cod.
Bed Bath & Beyond bought the company in 2003 for $200 million and has since expanded it nationwide. These days there are more than 80 locations, many named Christmas Tree Shops And That! ( a mouthful, frankly) to better reflect the wide range of products they sell.
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