Year-Round Christmas Stores

created by local artists.”

She reported that “Many of our ornaments are done in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. We also carry a line-up of custom brass pieces that are exclusive to us, and traditional ornaments. Overall we try to focus on items that are unusual, that you can’t find at chain stores like Michael’s.” Wilson noted, “The local aspect and the uniqueness of these items is what makes them do so well for us.”

The store caters to a mix of tourists and locals, which varies by time of year. “In the summer months, we are in a high-tourist area, and our customers are mainly visiting from out of town. From October to December, it’s more local Charleston-area shoppers who come up and support us, purchasing items as their own décor and gifts. We also have a website where we offer a lot of our main items, so we can reach customers all over.”

Wilson explained that “We have been in business for over 40 years, and we have customers who have come into our store for over 30. We keep items that are specifically selected to appeal to them, as well as a lot of the new, fun, and different things that have just come out.”

Located within the Charleston city market, the store is 400 square feet, with an entrance down a long narrow hall. At the end of that hall, Wilson described the first thing customers will see as displays of Christmas trees. The store creates a lot of its all-year Christmas energy and excitement through these displays. “Whenever you walk in, you have that immediate ‘Christmas at home’ feeling. That’s our big thing, you step into the store, and you see all these giant, decorated trees, and people naturally get very excited by that.”

Heading west, at Christmas Cottage in Lincoln City, Ore., Owner Barbara Jenkins-Gibson described her

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