This is the story of an adventure that began thirty years ago with two sisters who loved doing things together, their mom who designed the beautiful Red Velvet Christmas Goose that sold at the Krasl Holly Market and Fernwood Nature Center, and the question of, “Why don’t we start a business?”
Thus, The Christmas Tree became a reality.
Thirty fantastic years later, Madeline and Kathleen are celebrating The Christmas Tree’s quiet beginning and meteoric rise now three decades and running.
The business that started with a vision on a shoestring budget in their mom’s basement, will host a formal celebration taking place on Saturday, November 2nd, 2019 from 10am until 5pm, where everyone will received a memento gift, plus a savings gift that day of 30-percent off any one regularly-priced item of your choice.
In the beginning, the first real business location for The Christmas Tree on M-63 was comprised of just 800 square feet. They desperately needed to have a professional location inasmuch as they couldn’t take clients to mama’s basement to see what they had to offer.
Initially their business plan was to work with local companies for their gift-giving occasions and corporate parties, however people driving by had other ideas unknown to the sisters. The public passing by had been watching to see what was happening in that little end of the building and when the two placed the final touch of the signs on the building designating it as the home of The Christmas Tree, an instant retail business was born. Not only were Madeline and Kathleen not expecting that, they weren’t really ready for such intense interest, with a barely adequate inventory to meet the demand.
Quick adjustments in the business plan to accommodate drop-by customers while still working with their business clientele allowed them to make it work for everyone.
Madeline says, “There have been so many facets to our business over the years. We have worked with businesses on both ends of the spectrum from the smallest request from a solo salesman wanting a notable gift for 100 of his clients to the largest task of hosting a company Christmas Party at the Mendel Center for a company with 380 employees and guests all receiving lovely gift wrapped presents, a Santa stocking filled with surprises, table place gifts, candle lit table centerpieces and an 18-foot live Christmas tree fully decorated.” For the salesman, it was 100 hand-tied red-bowed boxes of delicious Fudge Love Candy. For the company, it was a huge undertaking for a tiny store that ended up being repeated for the next ten years until that particular company closed up shop.
Generating that type of business, they grew into their next building of 2,400 square feet, to allow for creation of a glorious retail showroom with products displayed in a way that people instantly fell in love with. The crowning touch was everyone who shopped loved getting a Lindor truffle to enjoy.
The sisters added a Gift Basket Gourmet Section to the business with an amazing array of offerings, and eventually built onto the building adding another 2,500 square feet which is how they arrived at their nearly 5,000 square foot showcase space of “pure beauty in a fun place to shop,” as Madeline loves to describe it.
Madeline says, “Looking back over the years, knowing all the love, caring and hours that are put into a business is enormous. We could never have done it by ourselves. We’ve had the love and support and the necessary help offered freely by our families always, especially our husbands Ron and Jack who drove endless miles delivering large gift basket orders, packing and shipping customer’s packages, maintaining our buildings and crafting social media postings.”
Beyond just family, Madeline and Kathleen have all the Elves “that keep everything magically beautiful” in the house, including Sara, Ellen, Susie, Kathy, Kathleen and MaryAnn. Madeline says, “Each has brought their own special personality and talent, making this store ‘the happy place to shop,’ and the place that people love to come back to time after time.”
The sisters know only too well that The Christmas Tree would not be celebrating their 30th Anniversary in business if it weren’t for all the wonderful people who have been loyal shoppers over the years, and who bring visiting family and friends to the shop. Not to mention the vacationers who stop by year after year entering through the famous Red Door saying, “We’re back, and so glad you are still here!”
If you were to host a review site regarding The Christmas Tree, there’s little doubt you’d hear a common theme of “This is the most beautiful, friendly Christmas store we have ever been to, and we go to every one that we can find.”
Kathleen admits, “Yes, we have been truly blessed, and The Christmas Tree is very special to so many people. We have met so many remarkable people and made many great friends over the years. We are grateful for every facet of this joyful business.”
While thousands of magical moments have taken place at 2675 Mizpah Park Road just off of M-63 “at the blinking light,” the sisters tell of one of their favorite memories when, “Early one morning Santa arrived to tell all the people in the village about the beautiful Christmas Tree shop and the beautiful and fun things in it, and lo and behold behind the white beard and Santa hat we saw the twinkling eyes of…Pat Moody, a great friend to our amazing community and beyond.” That was a special morning for me, as well, ladies. Congrats on your 30 stellar years in business.
