Christmas Tree Shops
| Company type | Private (formerly) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1 January 1970 in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, United States |
| Founder | Charles Bilezikian and Doreen Bilezikian |
| Defunct | August 12, 2023 |
| Fate | Bankruptcy and liquidation |
| Headquarters | Middleborough, Massachusetts , United States |
Area served | United States (mainly Northeast) |
| Products | Groceries, toys, home decor, holiday-themed items |
| Parent | Handil Holdings (2020–2023), formerly Bed Bath & Beyond (2003–2020) |
Christmas Tree Shops—also recognized as Christmas Tree Shops andThat! or simply andThat!—was a U.S.-based specialty retail chain with its headquarters located in Middleborough, Massachusetts. At its height, the company operated 72 outlets across 20 U.S. states, predominantly situated in the Northeast. The retailer filed for bankruptcy in 2023 and ceased all operations by August 12, concluding a 53-year tenure in the retail sector.
Founding and growth
The enterprise was established in 1970 by entrepreneurs Charles Bilezikian and Doreen Bilezikian, with its inaugural store opening in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts on Cape Cod. This initial seasonal location comprised three distinct buildings—the Front Shop, Back Shop, and Barn Shop—offering an assortment of household items alongside penny candy, which inspired the store’s pluralized name. By 1984, the chain had grown to eight stores and acquired the Cape Cod Coliseum to function as a warehouse facility. In 1993, Christmas Tree Shops expanded into Connecticut by launching a store in Manchester. Throughout the mid-1990s, the company implemented a successful marketing campaign featuring customer testimonials paired with the memorable slogan "Don't you just love a bargain?", significantly boosting brand awareness through the early 2000s.
Acquisition by Bed Bath & Beyond
In 2003, Bed Bath & Beyond purchased the chain while retaining involvement from the Bilezikian family in executive roles. Under this new ownership, Christmas Tree Shops broadened its footprint beyond New England into Bed Bath & Beyond’s home state of New Jersey as well as Delaware, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Ohio. The original Route 6A stores were shuttered in January 2007; however, those locations are now occupied by outlets owned by Greg Bilezikian, son of the founders. Several earlier Cape Cod locations were replaced with larger-format stores during this period.
Introduction of andThat!
In 2013, Christmas Tree Shops introduced a refreshed brand and store concept called Christmas Tree Shops andThat! designed to minimize confusion in new markets. By 2016, all new openings under Bed Bath & Beyond adopted the shortened name andThat!.
Ownership under Handil Holdings
In November 2020, Bed Bath & Beyond divested Christmas Tree Shops along with its Middleborough distribution center to Handil Holdings, a private investment firm, for an undisclosed sum. The following year in November 2021, the company launched nineteen temporary holiday-themed pop-up stores nationwide, which remained operational through January 3, 2022.
Bankruptcy proceedings and closure
On May 4, 2023—after the collapse of its former parent company Bed Bath & Beyond—Christmas Tree Shops declared intentions to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The subsequent day, both the chain and its parent company Handil Holdings officially submitted bankruptcy filings. As part of restructuring efforts, ten underperforming stores were closed with hopes of emerging from bankruptcy by August. Nevertheless, after defaulting on a restructuring loan agreement, management announced that if no buyer emerged by July 5, all remaining locations would be liquidated and permanently closed. Since no acquisition materialized, nationwide liquidation sales commenced on July 7, honoring gift cards and coupons through July 21.
During this liquidation phase, numerous fraudulent websites falsely representing the retailer—who had never operated online sales—surfaced, prompting public alerts to customers. The company also faced allegations of artificially inflating regular prices prior to applying clearance discounts. The final stores ceased operations on August 12, 2023. Four days later, the bankruptcy case transitioned to Chapter 7, reflecting insufficient proceeds from liquidation efforts. Numerous employees reported unpaid bonuses promised during liquidation; consequently, the presiding judge mandated that liquidator Hilco Global fulfill these payments.
As a direct outcome of this shutdown process, a planned new store location in Bohemia, New York—intended to open in summer 2023—was never launched.
Stores
Christmas Tree Shops functioned as discount retailers providing a variety of products including groceries, toys, home decor, and holiday-themed items. Many of their outlets showcased unique architectural designs inspired by Colonial, Victorian, or traditional Old English barn styles, reinforcing brand recognition in prominent areas such as Sagamore, Massachusetts, Pembroke, Massachusetts, and Warwick, Rhode Island. The Lynnfield, Massachusetts store stood out by incorporating a lighthouse and fishing village motif to create a distinctive shopping atmosphere.