Going All Out for Holidays

Best-Selling Christmas Store Merchandise

There are a million ways to celebrate Christmas, but lately, holiday retailers have noticed a theme: People are going all out. Whether their preferences run toward traditional red and green or trendy pink and lavender, Americans are celebrating a return to normal with over-the-top holiday cheer — and record décor budgets.

“Last year, everyone wanted to decorate a lot because after being home for a year, they wanted a beautiful tree for their families,” observed Michael Perez , manager at Aldik Home in Van Nuys, Calif. “And by the second year, people wanted to have a party. They’d remodeled their houses, redone the furniture; it was time to elevate their holiday. They’re saying, ‘I’m going to live my best Christmas now.’ ”

On October 1, Christmas officially starts at the 25,000-square-foot home emporium, which specializes in décor and plants for the other nine months. Aldik transforms into a holiday wonderland forested with nearly 70 artificial trees, ranging from 7.5 to 12 feet tall. “And they’re all lit up, because who wants a tree that’s not lit up,” Perez added.

On a per item basis, décor outsells trees, but Perez figures the two categories are roughly equal in terms of dollar volume. “Customers will buy one tree and use it for five to 10 years, but they may buy 300 ornaments in that time,” he said.

Since the tree lasts for multiple seasons, Perez added, “they don’t want a rainbow pink tree. You can’t have the same décor each year.” Why not? Because, Perez explained, everyone takes selfies in front of the tree and posts those shots on social media. And at least in tony Southern California, nobody would get caught dead with the same décor two years running.

But many shoppers feel stymied at having to come up with a whole new look. So Aldik employees work individually with customers to create a décor scheme for the year — even coming to the house, for a fee, to decorate on-site. “It’s like having a caterer bringing your food, except for holiday décor,” Perez explained.

“Last year, everyone wanted to decorate a lot because after being home for a year, they wanted a beautiful tree for their families. And by the second year, people wanted to have a party. They’d remodeled their houses, redone the furniture; it was time to elevate their holiday. They’re saying, ‘I’m going to live my best Christmas now.’ ”

- Michael Perez, Aldik Home, Van Nuys, Calif.

In 2021, pastels were popular; Aldik sold a lot of soft mauves and lavenders with silver and gold accents. Less than 2 percent of merchandise goes unsold in a typical season, according to Perez: “We promote a certain look, and our customers eat it up.”

At Holiday Warehouse in Plano, Texas, Manager Nancy Intrator sees two parallel trends — “back to tradition, or very funky.” For the latter camp, pink has been huge for several seasons, so the store ordered a

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