How the Hell Do Christmas Shops Stay Open All Year?

Up until recently it wasn’t Christmas time, and you’d forgotten about those Christmas mega-stores selling giant santas and neon candy canes. But now it is Christmas time, or nearly, and those places may have swum back into your consciousness. You might have even visited one to grab some tinsel, or a tree, and wondered to yourself as you parked the car: what do these guys do for the rest of the year?

This question prompted me to visit a guy named Jason McIntyre, founder and owner of an 11,000 square-metre Christmas store in Melbourne. Named Christmas Elves, Jason’s store stays open from January to December, peddling seasonal wares for all off-seasonal celebrations. We weren’t really sure what they might be, so we asked.

VICE: Hey Jason, why are you open all year?
Jason McIntyre: Firstly, we’re open all year because it takes us six months to get the store looking like this. Basically, almost every month, new products are arriving and, if you come back here in three months, you will realise the store’s decoration is looking totally different. But secondly, because we don’t operate with a full staff the whole year, as you can imagine.

So who is buying Christmas decoration from January to like, September?
A lot of my customers are collectors. You have no idea of how many people love to collect Christmas decorations. And then we have television producers continuously coming here looking for inspiration and, obviously, decorations for their sets. Also, we have products that are suitable for all events—things like lights for shows or parties. And finally, some of my clients come here to buy decorations for their entire neighbourhoods, schools, or even for charity Christmas parties. So I can have customers doing a $5 purchase, or a $10,000 purchase.

Right. So a couple of $10,000 purchases and I guess you’re set.
Yeah, you could say that. But if there’s any profit left, it goes back into the business. Two years ago, for example, I took my team to Germany. We went to some Christmas shops in Berlin and Frankfurt to get inspired. Last year we went to Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland in Michigan, which is the biggest Christmas shop in the world. The best way to invest in your business is to reinvest in your team.

Okay, and how is it that you’ve ended up owning a Christmas shop?
I remember that my uncle and I were chatting over a bottle of wine one night about these Christmas shops that are basically supermarkets for baubles. You know, the ones that stay open only two or three months a year. You just go there in a hurry, buy some stuff that you already own, and that’s it. Can you see how boring and ridiculous that is? That’s when I realised my dream was to open my own shop and keep it running the whole year. But, more than that, I wanted to create a place where I could keep the spirit of Christmas continuously awake.

You really like Christmas huh?
I am more than a fan. I think Christmas isn’t just a holiday, Christmas is a feeling. The truth is that since I was a child, the thing I loved the most in the whole world was to know that Christmas was coming, and I’ll tell why. I remember from the moment the council put the Christmas tree up, for me, it became that magical period where people allowed themselves to forget their problems and focus on the happiest feelings in their lives. Also, it’s a time when everyone reflects on how to become a better people or, at least, try to become a new, better versions of themselves. So please, don’t let January get you down—life can’t be dictated or defined by a month.

Wow, that’s pretty nice. Do you have any advice on how we can foster goodwill and peace upon the Earth?
Yes. Be tolerant and respectful to everyone and not just the people who think like you do. It’s easy to please the people you agree with, but the key is to contribute to a better and more inclusive world for all.

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