Christmas Tree Shops

Christmas Tree Shops was a retail chain that began in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, in 1970 as a complex of three small stores (Front Shop, Back Shop, and Barn Shop). The first complex, on Route 6A, explains why the name is Christmas Tree Shops instead of Shop. The chain's founders were Doreen and Charles Bilezikian. 
Since the 1980s, the chain had slowly been expanding beyond Cape Cod. As of May 2014, the company had 83 stores in 18 states. Expansion for the chain has included stores in Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio. Its newest stores opened in Augusta, Georgia, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Dallas, Texas, and Greensboro, North Carolina; the three opened under new ownership. The chain still had a strong presence on Cape Cod, where it operated six locations.
Christmas Tree Shops was acquired by Bed Bath & Beyond in 2003, though the Balzacians remained involved in the executive operations. The original stores on Route 6A were closed in January 2007, though the site is now occupied by stores owned by the Balzacians' son Greg. Some of the earlier Cape Cod stores, as in West Dennis, were dwarfed by recently built stores. In 2020, Bed Bath & Beyond sold the chain to Handil Holdings LLC. On May 5th, 2023, Christmas Tree Shops filed for bankruptcy and it was announced that all stores would close. On August 12th, 2023, the last stores permanently closed.
== Distribution center ==
The company maintained distribution centers in Middleboro, Massachusetts, and Florence, New Jersey, the latter opening in 2008. Prior to being moved to Middleboro, distribution was done from the former Cape Cod Coliseum, in South Yarmouth. Middleboro also served as the chain's new headquarters.
== Store concepts ==
=== Christmas Tree Shops ===
Christmas Tree Shops were bargain stores, selling food, toys, household furnishings, and Christmas decorations. Most stores typically resembled older buildings (Colonial, Victorian, or even Old English barn styles (such as in Sagamore and Pembroke, Massachusetts; and Warwick, Rhode Island). Some, such as the Lynnfield, Massachusetts store, were even more conceptualized; it was known for its lighthouse and fishing village motif.
Christmas Tree Shops also had several stores in enclosed shopping malls, such as inside the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside in Massachusetts, Colonie Center in Albany, New York, and Salmon Run Mall in Watertown, New York. These locations were in the Northeast United States.
=== Christmas Tree Shops Express ===
"Christmas Tree Shops express" stores featured a smaller footprint; the merchandise mix was oriented towards seasonal offerings.
=== andThat! ===
"andThat!" was a new banner used to expand Christmas Tree Shops to other parts of the country not familiar with the concept in order to eliminate confusion. "andThat!" stores were opened in Virginia, Wisconsin, Michigan, New Jersey, Georgia, and Florida.
Category:Retailers by type
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Category:Christmas Stores