Christmas Tree Shops: Every Season. Every Reason.
September 25, 2021
Christmas Tree Shops is an American chain of 80 specialty stores located in 20 U.S. states.
Way back, in the 1950s, Mark and Alice Matthews opened The Christmas Tree Gift Shop in a barn in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts. The store was open May through October which is the height of the vacation period in Cape Cod.
In 1970, Chuck and Doreen Bilezikian bought the shop and they and their children moved into the apartment above it.
So, why is it called Christmas Tree Shops instead of Christmas Tree Shop? Well, the original location was made up of three buildings: the Front Shop, the Back Shop and the Barn Shop. The three shops sold penny candy.
The chain began to expand beyond Cape Cod in the 1980s and by May 2014 there were 83 shops in 18 states. There are still six locations in Cape Cod. The chain’s newest retail locations can be found in Augusta, Georgia; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Dallas, Texas; and Greensboro, North Carolina.
In 2003, Bed Bath & Beyond acquired Christmas Tree Shops for $200 million, with the Bilezikians remaining involved in the executive operations.
In November 2020, Bed Bath & Beyond sold all 80 locations of Christmas Tree Shops, “and That!” along with the Middleborough, Massachusetts. distribution center to Handil Holdings, a private company.
The Christmas Tree Shops, with their warm Colonial and Victorian facades, invite shoppers to come in and enjoy their vast and unique collection of home and seasonal products.
The Christmas Tree Shops in Sagamore and Pembroke, Massachusetts are designed as Old English barns; others, such as the one in Lynnfield, Massachusetts, are known for their lighthouse and fishing village motif. There are some Christmas Tree Shops located in enclosed shopping malls. Christmas Tree Shops Express stores have a smaller footprint and focus on seasonal offerings.
The new banner, “andThat!” is being used to expand Christmas Tree Shops to other parts of the country not familiar with the concept to help eliminate confusion. States that now have “andThat!” shops include Virginia, Wisconsin, Michigan, New Jersey, Georgia, Florida and Delaware.
Gloria Sauvé
Communications and Marketing