LYNNFIELD — The Christmas Tree Shops location on Route 1 is closing its doors.
Merchandise in the store, the facade of which includes a 40-foot-tall lighthouse, is in the process of being liquidated. Store-closing signs can be seen throughout Christmas Tree Shops, which has begun selling off everything from its typical housewares and seasonal decor to some display racks.
Jeanne Sartori, of Saugus, has been shopping at the location since it opened more than 30 years ago.
“I am heartbroken,” Sartori said. “I’ve lived in Saugus all my life and Christmas Tree Shops is the one store where I would say ‘As long as I have my Christmas Tree Shops, I’ll be happy.’”
Many local shoppers described the departure of Christmas Tree Shops as part of the changing landscape of Route 1 and the North Shore in general.
“Many staples have changed,” Sarah Chiaradonna, of Lynnfield, said. “Between Bali Hai, Lynnfield Meat and Deli, and now Christmas Tree Shops… times sure are changing.”
Janice Haddad, of Saugus, shops at the store regularly and also reflected on how much Route 1 has changed in just the last few years.
“We’ve seen so much change in this area,” Haddad said. “It’s a sign of the times, I guess.”
Sartori’s husband, Jim Sartori, said the store is one of a kind. He described its impending closure, along with that of other brick-and-mortar stores in recent decades, as evidence of a changing retail environment.
“There were things [at Christmas Tree Shops] you just wouldn’t find anywhere else,” Jim Sartori said. “Unfortunately, we’ve been here long enough to see the disappearance of Sears, Kmart, Caldor, and now Christmas Tree Shops.”
Jeanne Sartori agreed with her husband, and said online shopping just doesn’t provide the same tactile experience as brick-and-mortar stores.
“People have to get out and walk in stores and look around,” she said. “It’s not good where this country is going.”
Jeanne Sartori also noted the store’s low prices were one of its biggest draws over the years.
“It was always a steal, and you always left happy when you bought it,” Jeanne Sartori said.
Christmas Tree Shops has a reputation for good deals, immortalized by its old “Don’t You Just Love a Bargain?” commercials. However, a story that went viral in recent days alleged price markups, despite the company’s advertisements of discounts on all items during the liquidation process.
Multiple videos on TikTok and local news reports featured footage showing people peeling back price tags and revealing tags with lower prices.
Kim Novak, of Saugus, posted a TikTok on July 11 documenting price-tag changes she and her friend found that received more than 100,000 views.
“We figured we’d take a ride and just see what they have,” Novak said. “I just started looking around and seeing the doubled stickers and peeling them back and all the prices underneath were cheaper…. It’s deceptive and it’s unethical.”
Store personnel at the Lynnfield location declined to comment on when the store was notified it would be closing, when the store would close for good, or the allegations of marked-up prices.
The last day customers can use gift cards is Friday, July 21.
The Massachusetts-based chain originated in the 1950s as a store for Christmas gifts on Cape Cod and was most recently owned by the husband-and-wife team of Marc and Pam Salkovitz, doing business as Handil Holdings LLC in 2020. It operated 82 stores in 20 states when it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in early May.
