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Report: Christmas Tree Shops is latest brick-and-mortar retailer to file for bankruptcy

There are currently 10 Christmas Tree Shop locations in New Jersey. It is a store that has a loyal customer base in the Garden State.

Matt Trapani and Chris Keating

May 5, 2023, 9:28 PM

Updated 578 days ago

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Christmas Tree Shops is the newest retailer to announce that it was planning to file for bankruptcy, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.
There are currently 10 locations in New Jersey. It is a store that has a loyal customer base in the Garden State.
“I’m so disappointed that they’re going out of business,” says shopper Oscar Colbert. Colbert is one of those loyal customers. He said he scored big Friday on an electric grill. “This was $129. It was $70 off, and I had a $10 coupon,” he said.
Loyal customers say they appreciate the store's reasonable prices and eclectic items inside.
The Christmas Tree Shops at the Springfield location has Memorial Day items, beach gear and dining items.
“I went in there for napkins, and I came out with a Bluetooth speaker and some tablecloth clips. Things that I didn’t even know I needed,” said shopper Heather Lawler.
Lawler said she was disappointed she might lose this store and said that she didn't see it coming.
“Every time I go in there, it’s packed. That’s why I am here during the week, because the weekends you can’t even [get in],” she says.
Christmas Tree Shops is owned by Massachusetts-based Handil Holdings. The company is said to be dealing with serious debt.
It would join other companies filing for bankruptcy such as Bed Bath & Beyond, Buy Buy Baby and David’s Bridal. Most customers assume the reason all these businesses are failing is due to competition from online shopping.
Colbert and Lawler said that they prefer the brick-and-mortar experience.
“You can come in, you can see the items, touch what you want, read the box. If you go online, it’s too impersonal,” Colbert says.
It's not yet clear what bankruptcy will mean for Christmas Tree Shops.