Christmas Tree Shops begin store closing sales, plan to stop accepting gift cards
MIDDLEBORO — Christmas Tree Shops prepares to permanently shut its doors while shoppers prepare for liquidation sales and the last two weeks of gift card use.
Its name never mattered to New England shoppers. Customers have been perusing these aisles for decades, not for Christmas trees, but for almost everything else.
"The deals, I definitely love the prices. Whenever you go to different towns you get different looks. I love the patio stuff and definitely the Christmas holiday decor is probably my favorite thing," said one Middleboro shopper.
"You'd get all your trinkets from here. All your candles, candle holders, things for the summer, floaties and stuff for the pool," a Brockton man added.
And so many of those bargain finds, have been really woven into the way we decorate and celebrate.
"You're going on vacation, you see it and it means we're almost at the Cape. You are on vacation and bought this as a memento and you put it up with your Christmas tree every year. Everything about it felt so New Englandy," said pop culture expert and standup comic Ken Reid, of the nostalgia.
Parking lots were busy after store closing sales at all locations were announced Friday. The deals range from mostly 10 to up to 50% off, but better bargains will be on the way.
"You've got to decide when is the best time to strike? If there's only one or two items you have your eye on go ahead and grab it. If you have gift cards you have until July 21 two weeks to use these or they're going to be worthless," said Edgar Dworsky of ConsumerWorld.org.
As customers look for final finds, and employees for new jobs, property owners will be on the hunt for big new tenants across Massachusetts and in 19 other states.
"Here in at Assembly Square in Somerville we've got Bed Bath and Beyond closing in the next few weeks, this store closing next couple of months. Who's going to fill those vacancies? That's the big question," Dworsky added.
In addition to the closing sales, over 200 workers at the Christmas Tree Shops distribution center lost their jobs on Friday marking the beginning of a series of layoffs to come as stores close.
