Christmas Tree Shops was the “It-girl” of bargain stores. Here’s why its legacy endures across New England.
Anthony Sammarco was in JOANN Fabric’s in Hyannis recently, shopping for a few Christmas decorations, when he heard the bells ringing from the Victorian carillon towering over the now-shuttered Christmas Tree Shops plaza.
In a true Proustian moment, the clanging of the bells brought back memories of scouring aisles for tchotchkes and treasures at the famed bargain chain, and he couldn’t help but remark: “My goodness, they’re greeting me!” Sammarco said of the bells.
Sammarco is a local historian, author, and lecturer who has penned over 60 books (yes, really) on Boston. In January, he will release his latest, “The Christmas Tree Shops: Don’t You Just Love A Bargain?” In the book, Sammarco chronicles the rise, fall, and legacy of the 53-year-old institution, and why it became an icon in New England and beyond.