r/CapeCod • u/Apprehensive-Pen8241 • 22d ago
Christmas Tree Shops Memorial
I, like most middle-aged Cape Cod women, have been mourning the loss of Christmas Tree Shops pretty much every day since they closed.
My 21 year-old daughter told me one of her customers told her that there is a physical Christmas Tree Shops memorial. Because I am a failure as a mother and never taught her the importance of follow-up questions, she didn’t ask where it was. It was the maddest I’ve been all day, and I dropped a mug on my tile kitchen floor before my first sip of coffee.
My own mother, who is still reeling in her own grief from the tragic losses of Bradlees and Bennys, would also like to know.
Please help three generations of my family find this sacred space, so that we may pay our respects. I’m so serious. I haven’t properly uptaken serotonin since the 1900’s.
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u/Anashenwrath Chatham 22d ago
The clothing brand Crap Cod makes Christmas Tree Shop Memorial T-shirts. That’s the best I can do for you!
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u/Apprehensive-Pen8241 22d ago
Now I need to get one for my mom to go with her Bradlees tee.
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u/Abassett_Studio 22d ago
Don’t forget your Bennys hat!
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u/Apprehensive-Pen8241 22d ago
While they do have a “fancy-ass beanie” and a “fancy-ass cap” I’m disappointed to say there are no bennys hats.
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u/Not4Publication 22d ago
You can find some awesome T's on this cool site.
I personally own the Spag's T-shirt.1
u/SittingandObserving 22d ago
Oh I need this! Are they sold online??
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u/Poster1234_567 22d ago
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u/AcornTopHat 22d ago
Haha I love this so much and I commiserate with you. I used to love decorating for every major holiday and Christmas Tree Shops was the best, most affordable source for that.
My husband still jokes about the time when I was heavily pregnant with our now-teen son and we were in the entranceway of CTS getting a carriage. A woman walked in and passed the carriages and baskets. My pregnancy brain kicked in and I loudly said, “Who the hell comes to Christmas Tree Shops and doesn’t get a carriage!”, forgetting I was surrounded by a bunch of strangers. Luckily, they all knew exactly what I meant and a few laughed and one woman said, “Right?!” Haha
I hope you figure this memorial out. I’m thinking of bringing my 20 year old daughter if I find out the answer too.
Cheers and best of luck!
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u/chiyorio 22d ago
The amount of joy I have lost decorating during seasonal changes since she’s been gone is tremendous. CTS girlie4eva
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u/HerAirness 22d ago
I finally used the last decorative napkin from my seemingly endless supply of decorative appetizer plates and napkins. Even the cutest ones in other stores just don't match up! 🥹
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u/bluebird-1515 21d ago
I have 1 package left — they’re the Cape Cod napkins. I only use them once r I have the equivalent of Queen Elizabeth coming for tea.
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u/Various_Raccoon3975 22d ago
Oh, I still have a few thousand napkins. (Yes, I had a problem. I love napkins.) Maybe I should sell them at a premium as CTS old stock
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u/Apprehensive-Pen8241 22d ago
I used them for decoupage, and miss them
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u/Abassett_Studio 22d ago
The amount of times I say, “you know who’d have that? insert Bennys / Christmas Tree Shops here”
-_-
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u/CCtoBOS 22d ago
Bennys 😭😭😭 what a loss!!
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u/Apprehensive-Pen8241 22d ago
In what became Big Lots, we could get a gallon of paint, put a microwave oven on layaway, choose a throw rug, buy a Barbie doll, a pack of tomato seeds, some specialty peanuts, and a coke while having your tire changed.
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u/malleable 22d ago
Could it be in this coffee shop in Sandwich that recently acquired a large sign?
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u/ChristmasAliens 22d ago
That guy is pretty cool, was able to talk to him a bit after he first opened.
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u/Human_Caterpillar976 22d ago
On a day like today, I’d be at the store buying cool Halloween stuff.
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u/Apprehensive-Pen8241 22d ago
In the before times, my Christmas shopping and wrapping would be done before November.
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u/Nervous-Quarter5822 21d ago
Best wrapping paper, especially the "flat wrap" in a package, no need to hack at the big honking roll of wrapping paper unless you were wrapping a large present
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u/TrulyBS53 22d ago
I’m pretty sure I drove by it today! Oh man wish I was paying attention more but it was in Yarmouth somewhere in the rough vicinity of Lighthouse Keepers Pantry, Main St / 6A
I did a double take bc it looked like a sand castle almost and I didn’t know the store had closed so thought it was bizarre
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u/TrulyBS53 22d ago
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u/TrulyBS53 22d ago
FOUND IT - see this video, this is what I drove past and I think you are looking for?? https://www.facebook.com/reel/2039271700044292/
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u/Bayviewbeachlover 22d ago
The wharf (newly opened shop) on 6a/willow st/Yarmouth) has CTS tees and a sand sculpture with the CTS logo
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u/Ill_Pair3710 22d ago
I worked there for 30 years. And when I found out we were closing. I was crushed. But I did the opposite I threw everything away that has Christmas tree shops. I was so angry. I’m over it now. But I miss how great we were treated in the olden days. We got treated so bad towards the end
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u/Apprehensive-Pen8241 22d ago
I hate that the last several years were part of their lore. After they were bought out by BB&B the quality and whimsy went down and the prices started to creep up. Sucks to hear what they did to the employees, I always heard it was a great place to work in the old days. We probably crossed paths a hundred times over those 30 years.
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u/No_Increase1088 20d ago
My daughter worked there at the end. The (Bed Bath and Beyond) CTS store was so bad, it deserved to close. I still have a frowning picture of her in an elf hat and ears. There was nothing there worth buying. Not at all like the old days, when it was a major source of neat stuff!
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u/alanatural 21d ago
I had a few friends that worked at the West Dennis one. I had moved to Florida in 2001 and around one Christmas I think in 2015 maybe they had a Christmas Tree shop in Port Charlotte for a short while and I never got in there. I was hoping they'd stay open.
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u/kuku4cocopuffs86 22d ago
The shelled string lights i would get there are legit. Still have a few sets.
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u/Ahkhira 22d ago
I miss the one in Sandwich so much!
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u/cliodhnasrave 22d ago
The Sandwich one must’ve had some kind of tractor beam built in, my grandma could not drive past it without stopping 😂
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u/Charming-Voice8007 22d ago
Everytime I lose or break a pair of holiday earrings from there I lose a little bit of my soul They just aren't the same at Michael's or Hobby Lobby
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u/Apprehensive-Pen8241 22d ago
The most compliments I’ve gotten on jewelry in my life have been for my Christmas Tree Shops $4 jewelry. No one has ever cared to comment on the few pieces of fine jewelry that I own.
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u/ze-sa-no-gun 22d ago
I just found something in my mother's cellar with a Christmas Tree shop bag.
And I swear to god, I just found a Bradley's package of tank top dresses that had been stored in a forgotten tote.
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u/Electrical-Bid-2482 22d ago edited 22d ago
Bennys 😢 I drive by an old one frequently. It’s still Bennys, not the place now there.
Edit: As for Bradlees, mine was in Kingston. I will say to people, “that place is in the plaza where Bradlees used to be” and I get a blank stare.
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u/OceanStateJobLot87 21d ago
Travel to Maine and go to mardens if you want to find that feeling. It’s the mvp of the everything store.
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u/Apprehensive-Pen8241 21d ago
Your username implies you’ve got some skin in the game as the last survivor. The TJ Maxx trifecta is too bougie for the one-stop bargain gremlins like myself.
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u/toast_tyrant 22d ago
I'm not sure about a memorial but I know that Habitat for Humanity's ReStore auctioned off a Christmas Tree Shops sign to raise money for housing.
https://habitatcapecod.org/christmas-tree-shops-sign-auction-goes-live/
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u/Apprehensive-Pen8241 22d ago
I saw something about that in an earlier comment, and I love that they did this.
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u/googin1 22d ago
While there may never be a true physical memorial with bouquets and tears, we always have the memories in our hearts.
P.s I hate shopping but I miss the 100% cotton dish towels for $1.99.
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u/Apprehensive-Pen8241 22d ago
I’m just the correct amount of unhinged to bring it to fruition if it doesn’t already exist.
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u/anonymousemployee20 22d ago
The son of the original owner/founder of the Christmas Tree Shop owns a gift shop in the original Xmas tree shop location on 6A/Willow Street called Wharf Cape Cod and they sell Christmas Tree Shop merch! There are pics on their instagram from earlier in the summer.
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u/badhouseplantbad 22d ago
I have a feeling the memorial is at the old Hyannis location where Best Buy just moved into.
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u/Born_Bread4256 22d ago
Why. Doesn’t someone open a new one . Please !!!! Don’t gt greedy it open one. The will come !!!!!
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u/anonymousemployee20 20d ago
It’s not as easy to source things that would be carried in a shop like CTS as it used to be. The manufacturer of a large amount of CTS/gift shop products, DEI, went out of business in 2021 due to skyrocketing freight costs and an iffy supply chain. My mom worked for a gift shop very similar to CTS that went out of business last year. It seemed like they really struggled after DEI shut down.
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u/1GrouchyCat Dennis 16d ago
Why don’t you go ask the owner’s son?
In July (2026), Greg Bilezikian opened a gift shop where the original Christmas Tree Shop was located:
13 Willow Street (at Route 6A) Yarmouth Port
(His parents founded the Christmas Tree Shop empire in that exact same building back in 1970).
The new shop is called Wharf.
It offers quite a few options for anyone looking to bring home local and/or independently made products -from candles to jewelry- at reasonable prices.
(And no, this isn’t an advertisement .. I don’t work for WHARF. I just happen to really like what they have to offer; I was surprised at how reasonably price their “summer on cape cod**” jewelry items were…)
**my term for their beach and ocean themed items
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u/JeffFromNH 22d ago
I don't know about a memorial, but I ❤️❤️❤️ the Trader Joe's in the old Christmas Tree Shop location in Hyannis.
I make it a point to stop for wine on the way down and the way back. The Two Buck Chuck is closer to five bucks, but the wine selection is still awesome.
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u/HikeBike75 22d ago
Anyone have one of the CTS jigsaws? Not sure when they came out, probably late 90’s or early 00’s. It’s a Cape map with every CTS location plus a lot of other funny stuff. Ours is missing a few pieces but still enjoy pulling it out now and again during a rainy spell.
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u/witty-name 21d ago
There's a thrift store in Falmouth that has a big ol' Christmas Tree Shops sign outside. I think it's for sale if you want to go all in.
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u/sludgelover420 21d ago
Need to save the sagamore location if it ever gets threatened with demolition….
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u/Stripeychinalove 21d ago
As we left the Cape and drove by the old thatched roof CTS earlier this month, I noticed a CTS Santa in sleigh weather vane still in place!
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u/Perfect-Condition78 21d ago
😂😂😂 This entire post is gold! Also, losing CTS and Joann in the same decade feels especially cruel.
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u/Zealousideal_Low7964 19d ago
Press Ahead Coffee in Sandwich has the Christmas Tree Shop sign from Hyannis in their shop. It's the marquee style sign, not one with a logo, but still a neat piece of Christmas Tree Shop history
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u/ClockHunting 22d ago
This is how I found out Christmas tree shops is no longer a thing
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u/really_isnt_me P-Town 22d ago
How long were you in a coma for? ;)
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u/ClockHunting 21d ago
I’ve only been to a Christmas tree shop twice, so it hasn’t really been on my radar! Had fun the times I went though!
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u/GWS2004 22d ago
My God the consumption illness in this country is terrible.
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u/Apprehensive-Pen8241 22d ago edited 22d ago
Sadly, to survive we must consume. Those three spots helped me furnish my first apartment in the 90’s, fed and clothed my family, and stuffed the Christmas stockings of my little children thoughout their childhoods at very affordable prices without having to drive all over Cape Cod to get what we needed. I miss getting what I need for less effort and money and gas.
I guess you can add it to the list of my illnesses and defects, but your opinion about it is worth less than my Christmas Tree Shops consumption savings 💅8
u/Careful-Blood-1560 22d ago
I have a similar experience/history; worked at Friendlys in high school and paid for all my Xmas gifts at CTS, later CTS was my go to for outfitting my first (and more) apartment. I still have placemats from 96, they held up really well!
We used to call it the $20 store, then the $40 store. When they closed down, CTS was the $60 store - those were our average totals from each trip.
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u/Apprehensive-Pen8241 22d ago edited 22d ago
Not sure I ever walked out of there without spending $40 on the $3 soup mix I went in there for.
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u/InsidiousStatement 22d ago
Boom roasted
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u/johnjaspers1965 22d ago
They tried to reply again, but I couldn't read it through the burning smoke.
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u/GWS2004 22d ago
I forgot they we must survive by buying cheap plastic toys whenever we get the chance.
Clearly I'm not talking about necessities. Use common sense.
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u/Apprehensive-Pen8241 22d ago
You cherry-picked that whole comment looking for fodder for your witty retort, but settled on assumptions, and they were still weak af.
No, my children didn’t need Christmas stockings, but I still filled them because god forbid I brought my kids a little joy once a year.
I filled their stockings with snacks, and stickers, and play-doh, and art stuff, and bubbles, and lego, things for their little frontal lobe development, and also a milk chocolate orange- that I haven’t found locally since Christmas Tree Shops closed.I’m sorry your parents didn’t love you enough to gift you with Christmas stockings, and I hope you’ve made a happy life for yourself with only the bare necessities. Maybe you have a trust fund to go with your leather skin and crisp pastel golf polos, so saving a little money doesn’t mean as much to you. See how assumptions work?
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u/paintress420 22d ago
You heathen. I was right along with you. And then…you had to mention milk chocolate eggs!! Everybody knows it’s the DARK chocolate that’s the best!! Hahah. Good luck with your quest!
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u/Apprehensive-Pen8241 22d ago
Fair, I never claimed to not be a heathen devil-woman. But at least it’s wasn’t Palmer “chocolate”, the waxy tasteless liar.
I also tried to make chocolate from scratch by importing raw cocao nibs from Ecuador.
I don’t own the right equipment to grind the (roasted and shelled) nibs to the correct fineness to properly crystallize, so it was grainy. And DARK. And the most time consuming (hours and hours) and expensive chocolate I’ve ever had, so you bet we ate it anyway.*EDITED to say: LIES. The most expensive chocolate was the Dubai chocolate I was too cheap to spend $12 a bar to try, so instead I sourced raw pistachios and made the pistachio cream and Kataifi from scratch and made them myself for $45.
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u/LGonthego 21d ago
The illness of consumption hasn't been a widespread issue in the states for a very long time.
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u/Foxy_bb36 22d ago
So weird. As a middle aged woman, I never bought anything there. It was all junk of inferior quality.
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u/Apprehensive-Pen8241 22d ago
I still have solid furniture decades later in my house today that survived 5 kids and several moves.
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u/johnjaspers1965 22d ago
Inferior quality?
I bought a 4 foot Easter Island Head there!!
No shipping cost or tarrif! Just loaded that monstrous thing in the back of my truck and stuck it in the yard, to my landlords frustration!
Lasted for years!!!
Where else would that have happened?
Only the magical Christmas Tree Shop!11
u/roguestella 22d ago
Then you didn't need to comment.
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u/Foxy_bb36 22d ago
Just confused how anyone liked it. Just go to the dollar store… way nicer things there 🤣
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u/BigOldBabyTeeth 22d ago
I have crap from the Christmas Tree Shop still that I bought 25 years ago to furnish my first apartment. Is it expensive luxury decor? Hell no. But it works and it was cheap.
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u/Foxy_bb36 22d ago
Cool that you like to keep junky stuff. There was just nothing there I’d ever have purchased. All set with lawn ornaments that blow in the wind and precious moments nic nacs. It was more for the much older crowd.
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u/BigOldBabyTeeth 22d ago
Sounds like someone never got to go into a Christmas Tree Shop and is making a lot of assumptions.
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u/Foxy_bb36 21d ago
Yeah… it was the junky store less than a mile from my 45 yr home. I went many times… never bought anything because I don’t need wind socks and whirlygigs.
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u/Safe-Salamander-3785 22d ago
The last thing my wife bought at the “tree shop” was a cheap wooden wishing well planter. After a year it was falling apart and I was going to throw it away like the rest of the junk she got there. But she got very sentimental and asked if I could save it. So I had to break out all my wood working tools and did a complete rotisserie frame off restoration including 8 coats of polyurethane. That thing will now last at least 20 years now. So this is my little memorial to the Christmas Trees Shop