7 Online Christmas Stores for Unique Gifts, Decorations, and More

Mike Golomb became a Christmas retailer after searching for the perfect vintage ugly holiday sweater. More than a decade later, his unintended hobby is a flourishing side business.

Christmas was in Kelli Girsch’s blood. She grew up in a home that celebrated the season year-round, complete with a trimmed Christmas tree. Kelli’s holiday store is her third subscription-box business—and her most successful to date.

Mike and Kelli built Christmas betting that others shared their passion for holiday cheer—and they were right. While signs of the season creep into retail shops and onto Netflix earlier and earlier each year (even before the jack-o’-lanterns hit the compost bin), for these two, Christmas is evergreen. It’s not a holiday or even a season—it’s a way of life.

In the spirit of the season, peek inside seven Christmas stores selling holiday cheer. From tree decorations to festive gifts to bags designed just for wreaths, these founders each snagged a unique corner of the holiday market.

7 unique and inspiring Christmas stores 

1. Jammie Claus
2. Rent-A-Christmas
3. Santa’s Bags
4. The Ugly Sweater Store
5. Fabulous Fairytales
6. My Christmas Crate
7. Callisters Christmas

1. Jammie Claus

Christmas store: A family pajama tradition
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Head elves: Megan R. Holmes, Linda K. O’Dell, Laura Coghlin, Scott Holmes 

Jammie Claus was founded by four generations of women who created a family tradition around the character of Mrs. Claus as the bringer of Christmas Eve pajamas. They invited customers to celebrate that tradition through an online Christmas store. The concept? A storybook about Mrs. Claus that adds depth to the character and a gift bag (magically filled with fresh PJs each year) that helps other families start their tradition.

Jammie Claus is also a social enterprise. Mrs. Claus is portrayed as a strong leader, while profits from the brand’s Empowerment Head Scarves support organizations providing skills and employment to underserved communities. “Every decision we make, we ask if this aligns with our mission,” says Laura. “If the answer is no, then we don’t pursue it.”

“As a family business, we divide out what needs to get done and share the responsibilities,” says Megan. “Each of us carry separate professional careers, and our complementary talents have helped us prepare quickly for this holiday season. [We also] have three young kids, so often long hours are put in after the kids are in bed.”

2. Rent-A-Christmas 

Christmas store: Rental Christmas trees and décor
Location: New York, New York
Head elves: Judah Parness, a.k.a. Skeeter Gumdrop; Kristen Parness, a.k.a. Sparkles Peppermint

In 2013, Judah and Kristen Parness were spending their first Christmas together. They wanted to kit out their New York City apartment in full holiday splendor, but there was one problem: Where would they store everything come January? Why couldn’t they just rent Christmas décor?

That day, their seasonal service business, Rent-A-Christmas, was born. Now, they outfit homes all over New York with the full holiday experience—then tear it down for their customers when the season ends.

“We don’t have a full-year runway in which to generate revenue, so it is imperative that we plan everything,” says Kristen. “We keep a critical eye on costs, and we try to plan our expenses at times in the year when we are also generating sales.”

3. Santa’s Bags

Christmas store: Storage for Christmas trees and décor
Location: West Valley City, Utah
Head elves: Jared Hendricks (owner), Parker Eakin (ecommerce director)

After an early foray in the seasonal lighting business, Jared Hendricks decided to go all in and launch three more Christmas shops. One of them, Santa’s Bags, answers an annual problem: What to do with Christmas decorations outside the holiday season. Santa’s Bags offers compact bags for artificial Christmas trees, lights, and holiday ornaments to help its customers maximize precious storage space.

“We spend a lot of time planning out our operations, automating as much as possible so that once the surge of orders hits, most of the tasks, such as order processing, shipping, and accounting, are streamlined and easy for anyone to do,” says Jared.

4. The Ugly Sweater Store

Christmas store: Vintage (and new) “ugly” Christmas sweaters
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Head elf: Mike Golomb

Mike Golomb once sat out a Christmas party because he couldn’t find the right ugly sweater. A year later, his mom found a goldmine of vintage sweaters at a local Goodwill and asked how many he wanted. He took all 30.

After selling the first batch on eBay, Mike continued to scale until he had amassed more than 30,000 vintage ugly sweaters. He now sells them, along with his creations—sweaters that hold a beer bottle in a front pocket—via his Shopify-enabled website. 

The Ugly Sweater Store has been his seasonal side hustle for over a decade. “Plan ahead,” says Mike. “If you have items that sell fast, pre-package them. And make sure you have a stock of packing supplies, as nothing is more frustrating than running out at 10 p.m. to find a 24-hour store that sells tape and ink.”

5. Fabulous Fairytales

Christmas store idea: High-end ornaments
Location: London, UK
Head elf: Paul Clancy, a.k.a. Magical Mr. Paul

Paul Clancy worked in fashion for years before changing careers and becoming a gardener. One day, a client asked him to dress her garden for the holidays, igniting his love of Christmas. 

That work grew into a luxury wreath business that eventually spawned a second Christmas shop, Fabulous Fairytales, a collection of fantasy-inspired luxury ornaments and other holiday decorations.

“The Christmas industry is a fast-paced business packed into a short space of time. Enjoy the ride,” says Paul. “Allow yourself time to step back and pat yourself on the back for the great job you’re doing.”

6. My Christmas Crate

Christmas store: Year-round holiday-themed subscription boxes
Location: Lincoln, California
Head elf: Kelli Girsch

Christmas in July (and August and February) is in full swing at Kelli Girsch’s house.

She comes by it honestly. As a serial founder, Kelli’s instincts told her she wasn’t the only one who couldn’t wait a whole year for eggnog season, and she was right. My Christmas Crate—her third and most profitable subscription business—ships the spirit of the season all year long.

Being Santa is her full-time job. And her elves? They’re teenagers (including one of her own) who she employs to assemble the boxes. “Teens are easy to hire and eager to learn,” she says.

Learn more: With subscriptions, you sell products on a regularly scheduled frequency. Explore subscriptions with Shopify.

“Customer support is key! Don’t try to outsource too much, or you’ll end up in the red,” says Kelly. “I try to keep customer support in-house to reduce overhead costs. The downside is that I take each and every customer issue or complaint personally.” 

7. Callisters Christmas 

Christmas store: Personalized ornaments
Location: Brookfield, Wisconsin 
Head elf: Michele Zelenak (owner)

In the heart of Wisconsin lives Callisters Christmas, a family-owned business that’s been spreading Christmas cheer for more than three decades. Founded by three sisters in 1991, this cherished establishment has grown from humble beginnings as a mall kiosk vendor to one of the Midwest’s premier shopping destinations for Christmas ornaments and holiday décor.

What began with a modest collection of 400 ornaments has blossomed into an impressive inventory of more than 5,000 unique pieces, ranging from traditional baubles to specialized collectibles. The store’s flagship location in Brookfield, Wisconsin, is a year-round holiday haven, while seasonal pop-up stores at Midwestern malls and state fairs bring festive offerings to a broader audience.

The sisters’ commitment to customer’s needs is evident in their motto: "If I can’t find it here, I won’t find it anywhere." This dedication to comprehensive selection and customer satisfaction has earned Callisters a loyal following among holiday enthusiasts. 

Business ideas for the holiday season

If starting a seasonal business interests you, there are plenty of ideas to consider: decorating service businesses, niche handmade advent calendars (think beauty, STEM toys, or teas), or print-on-demand Christmas cards.

The global Christmas decoration market is expected to be worth more than $9 billion by 2026, making it a potentially lucrative industry for the right idea. Spread holiday cheer—and make money doing what you love—by finding your niche market in the Christmas business.

Illustrations by Amanda Berglund