In no time at all it will be the new year and the year-end holiday season will be behind us, just like that. However, that doesn’t mean that your holiday reporting has to end once the season is over. There are plenty of holiday stories to consider in the new year, just as we know that there are plenty of holiday stories before the season even begins.
With Christmas next week, let’s talk about the business of Christmas decorations, which are no longer solely a seasonal business.
Christmas decorations are big business
The world’s largest exporter of Christmas decorations by far is China, accounting for about 87% of exports globally in 2022 and valued at $9.7 billion. The next largest exporter in 2022 was the Netherlands with $251.7 million in exports. Where are all those Christmas decorations being shipped? It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the number one importer last year was the United States with $4.0 billion in goods flowing into the country ($3.6 billion coming from China alone). This is followed by the United Kingdom with $361.8 million in imported Christmas goods last year.
As for Christmas trees, Christmas tree farms alone sell around 12 million trees a year in the U.S., with about another 3 million imported into the states, primarily from Canada. About another 20 million artificial trees were sold last year, making the Christmas tree business worth about $3 billion before any decorations are even added to the tree itself. The American Christmas Tree Association noted that the average price of a Christmas tree is up about 10% this year.
Speciality Christmas shops
While some year-round Christmas stores, like the Christmas Tree Shops, are closing their doors for good, others are still churning out the holiday cheer all year long. One such example is Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland in Frankenmuth, Michigan. What started as a small sign-painting business in 1945 has now expanded into a Christmas mecca the size of 5.5 football fields that has over two million guests a year. The 2.2-acre showroom displays over 350 decorated Christmas trees, carries over 150 styles of nutcrackers, and sells decorations from 70 nations. Bronner’s staff also personalizes over half a million ornaments each year.
Bronner’s may advertise itself as the largest Christmas store in the world, but it certainly isn’t the only one. This includes Decorators Warehouse in Arlington, Texas, The Christmas Place in Miami, Florida, and Santa Claus Christmas Store in Santa Claus, Indiana – yes, you read that right, the town name is Santa Claus.
These are just some of the larger Christmas stores in the U.S., but there are plenty of small holiday shops – many of which are family-owned and operated. These shops are able to be successful throughout the year because they have little competition outside of the holiday season and with creative marketing some of their standard items, like string lights, can be used for all kinds of events and special occasions year-round.
