The End of an Era: Christmas Tree Shops Closing

[DeeBee3]

I guess I'll be in the minority who considered the store just a step above dollar stores. It was good for quick holiday decor and they did have name-brand toiletries. I'll give them that. Everything else was junk store stuff. At least, in the 2 locations that are near my house. If I wanted festive paper plates I would go there. Sometimes they sold a snack that we liked. Otherwise it was made in China disposable stuff, which I don't like buying too much of. (Meaning you buy it with the intent that it's to be thrown out.)

 

[easyas123]

I guess I'll be in the minority who considered the store just a step above dollar stores. It was good for quick holiday decor and they did have name-brand toiletries. I'll give them that. Everything else was junk store stuff. At least, in the 2 locations that are near my house. If I wanted festive paper plates I would go there. Sometimes they sold a snack that we liked. Otherwise it was made in China disposable stuff, which I don't like buying too much of. (Meaning you buy it with the intent that it's to be thrown out.)

I actually very much agree with you. I've only been in the store a time or two...one in western MD and another ???? NC maybe? I don't know, doesn't matter. I found it to be a bit like a dollar store as well. Like a giant 5 & 10.

 

[aprilgail]

Wont miss that- it was like a glorified dollar tree- just a bunch of junk.

 

[SirDuff]

The original store was in Yarmouthport, on the corner of 6A and Willow Street and was closed years ago. It is another gift shop now, Just Picked, that was started by one of the sons of the original founders of The Christmas Tree Shops (not sure if he still owns it). My sister worked there in HS, I worked in the West Yarmouth store (now a Dollar Tree) in HS, too. It was my first real job. Sad to see them go. When owned by the Bilezikian’s, it was a great place to work.

I wonder if we crossed paths in the West Yarmouth store (the one on Route 28 near South Sea Avenue and across (ish) from Fred’s Turkey House?). Used to spend time every summer at Radio City (as it was then) and at least one visit to the Christmas Tree Shops. My brother still takes his family (now to Great Island Ocean Club) but I‘ve not been in a few years.

 

[Mle8308]

I wonder if we crossed paths in the West Yarmouth store (the one on Route 28 near South Sea Avenue and across (ish) from Fred’s Turkey House?). Used to spend time every summer at Radio City (as it was then) and at least one visit to the Christmas Tree Shops. My brother still takes his family (now to Great Island Ocean Club) but I‘ve not been in a few years.

You never know! And wow - Fred's Turkey House, that is a blast from the past! It was the store on Route 28. There is now a huge inflatable waterpark across the street now. I worked there in the 90's. It was a fun job!

 

[Tinkerbell58]

A friend of mine bought a bag of candy at our local store two weeks ago for $2.99. The store is now offering 10% off purchases. She went back this past weekend, and this same bag of candy is now $3.99.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

OP here. As others have said, sure, some of the stuff was eh, but some was decent, too. I have a lot of things in my house from there over the years. But the best part of the experience really was in the browsing. I also knew if I needed a photo frame or photo album, I would find what I was looking for there, and it wouldn’t break the bank. I did notice the last few times I was in that prices had gone up quite a bit (as with everywhere, practically) and there was a lot of stuff left over from previous seasons that didn’t used to be there in such large quantities. As with others, I started shopping there in the 80s when I lived on the Cape, before the Sagamore shop was even built. So a lot of time and money spent there. I will miss it a lot. It was as good as therapy for me after a tough day to just go in, look around and buy a few fun things.

 

[focusondisney]

Wont miss that- it was like a glorified dollar tree- just a bunch of junk.

I agree. There is 1 about half hour away, stopped there a few times if in the area & had time. I always wondered what the big deal was with it. Seemed like a super sized dollar store. Never found anything worth buying. They used to have ads & the times I was there, didn’t have anything that was in the ad.

 

[SirDuff]

You never know! And wow - Fred's Turkey House, that is a blast from the past! It was the store on Route 28. There is now a huge inflatable waterpark across the street now. I worked there in the 90's. It was a fun job!

Yes, we've taken my niece and nephew to the inflatable park (but only the dry bit). But, that location will forever be where Fred's Turkey House was to (to be honest, not sure I even eat there - I just always looked out for Fred the Turkey when driving by).

 

[RedAngie]

A friend of mine bought a bag of candy at our local store two weeks ago for $2.99. The store is now offering 10% off purchases. She went back this past weekend, and this same bag of candy is now $3.99.

That often happens at Going Out of Business events. The liquidator raises prices then offers a slight discount at first. In many cases the prices are higher than the store’s former normal everyday prices.

The same thing happened when my local K-Mart was closing.

I might wait a few weeks to check it out to see if the discounts increase.

 

[denisenh]

Can't you just order anything they had in those stores from Amazon?

Amazon...... I think Amazon may just take over the world and then we can all pay the price for creating a monster.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

Amazon...... I think Amazon may just take over the world and then we can all pay the price for creating a monster.

They have a great business model.
And a simple one.
Buy low, make a small profit, get people to come back…

If a consumer needs a product they go to Amazon, if they need a quality product maybe they go else where else….

Most people don’t need or want to pay for a quality product…

Maybe people can no longer afford to buy a quality product…. Either case Amazon was there with an alternative….

Does that make Amazon the bad guy, or the good guy….

 

[denisenh]

They have a great business model.
And a simple one.
Buy low, make a small profit, get people to come back…

If a consumer needs a product they go to Amazon, if they need a quality product maybe they go else where else….

Most people don’t need or want to pay for a quality product…

Maybe people can no longer afford to buy a quality product…. Either case Amazon was there with an alternative….

Does that make Amazon the bad guy, or the good guy….

I don't disagree with your comments at all. But, when any competition ceases to exist, the remaining vendor (Amazon and Amazon DBA) will have increased ability to raise prices. So, I guess that will make them the good guy for suppling products/services and the bad guy for charging an arm and a leg because they can.
Or, maybe their great business model will drive them to not take advantage of the position that they have cleverly worked to achieve and give us all a good bargain instead, just because they are nice. I almost spit out my coffee just typing that.
I am not a fan of Amazon and its because of their huge and growing market share and because they treat their employees (fellow peers to most of us, yes, we are on the same team.... middle class workers) like poop. This is based on what I have gathered as I don't personally know anyone that works for Amazon. The middle class is so busy fighting with each other and hating on each other we forget that as a group, we hold the power. We should be able to support each other and build a world that benefits us rather than only the richest and most powerful in all the land. Divided we will fall.
We the people are carving out the future, day by day, with the choices we make. I guess we will see how the cookie crumbles.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

I don't disagree with your comments at all. But, when any competition ceases to exist, the remaining vendor (Amazon and Amazon DBA) will have increased ability to raise prices. So, I guess that will make them the good guy for suppling products/services and the bad guy for charging an arm and a leg because they can.
Or, maybe their great business model will drive them to not take advantage of the position that they have cleverly worked to achieve and give us all a good bargain instead, just because they are nice. I almost spit out my coffee just typing that.
I am not a fan of Amazon and its because of their huge and growing market share and because they treat their employees (fellow peers to most of us, yes, we are on the same team.... middle class workers) like poop. This is based on what I have gathered as I don't personally know anyone that works for Amazon. The middle class is so busy fighting with each other and hating on each other we forget that as a group, we hold the power. We should be able to support each other and build a world that benefits us rather than only the richest and most powerful in all the land. Divided we will fall.
We the people are carving out the future, day by day, with the choices we make. I guess we will see how the cookie crumbles.

“ I don’t disagree BUT”
So what you meant to say is here is why I disagree? Correct?

I do not love amazon either, however, when, I don’t need it right now, and I don’t need it to be the best quality, I can get an ok product at a great price delivered to my front door.

Businesses need to focus on the bottom line.
Not social injustice, or pet projects, but rather making customers happy….

Amazon, Walmart, even target tend to do that well….

And yes Amazon, and the likes can force the others out of business, but someone will fill the void if they get to greedy…

I personally DON’T think of myself as middle class.

However, the upper class, they are the ones that drive this counties economy.

Love him or hate him don’t get to mad at Jeff because he made it….

 

[denisenh]

“ I don’t disagree BUT”
So what you meant to say is here is why I disagree? Correct?

I do not love amazon either, however, when, I don’t need it right now, and I don’t need it to be the best quality, I can get an ok product at a great price delivered to my front door.

Businesses need to focus on the bottom line.
Not social injustice, or pet projects, but rather making customers happy….

Amazon, Walmart, even target tend to do that well….

And yes Amazon, and the likes can force the others out of business, but someone will fill the void if they get to greedy…

I personally DON’T think of myself as middle class.

However, the upper class, they are the ones that drive this counties economy.

Love him or hate him don’t get to mad at Jeff because he made it….

yes, okay. That's terrific.

 

[cayennews]

I am so sad they are closing. It was such a fun place to shop. I went last week and the store was only 1/3 full. End of an era.