MANCHESTER, Conn. (WTNH) — Christmas Tree Shops (CTS), known for its seasonal goods, home decor and furniture is planning to close all four Connecticut locations, according to store officials.
Christmas Tree Shops rebranded as CTS in 2020 to stray away from the Christmas holiday to highlight the other products offered year-round. The company dropped the red and green sleigh from its company logo and created a modernized CTS logo.
On May 5, Christmas Tree Shops filed a voluntary Chapter 11 petition in the United States Bankruptcy Court in Delaware.
“This is strictly a financial restructuring. Our operations are sound. By increasing our financial flexibility, we will be able to focus on continuing to delight our loyal customers with a wide selection of unique goods at affordable prices,” Christmas Tree Shops chairman Marc Salkovitz said in a statement on May 5.
At the time of the filing, CTS reported operating 82 stores in 20 states and that it planned to close 10 stores in Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
On Monday, CTS officials told News 8 they plan to close all four of their Connecticut locations.
CTS is planning to liquidate all of its stores as part of an auctioning process unless a buyer is found, according to court filings. Court records list the date of the sale as July 30 and a timeline of the auction as July 19.
The store closing sales are expected to begin Friday at all four stores in state. The locations are listed below:
- 220 Indian River Road in Orange
- 120 Hale Road in Manchester
- 15 Backus Avenue, Suite 42 in Danbury
- 824 Hartford Turnpike in Waterford
It is not clear on which date the stores will close permanently. News 8 has reached out to Christmas Tree Shops for further comment.
Monday in Manchester, shoppers said they’ll miss the store.
“I would say it’s special,” said Kim Boutot, of Tolland. “Sometimes, you find a little treasure you might not find somewhere else. It’s sad to see it go, we come here every once in a while, take my mom. Something to do on a weekend, spend some time and you never know what you’re going to find.”
The store used to sell winter holiday decor, but branched out to much more.
“It has a pretty large department of furniture, you can buy rugs here,” said Nancy Billard, from Hebron. “I’ve bought window treatments here that have been a good price and are really quality goods.”
The Christmas Tree Shops had customers of all ages. Eleven-year-old Arjun Ananda, from Ellington, said he comes with his family frequently for the good deals.
Those who have been shopping at the Christmas Tree Shops for decades were feeling nostalgic.
“Oh it’s so disappointing,” said Susanne Gaughran, of Meriden. “It’s such a great place to buy little things that you need for your home. Especially around the holidays, it’s just a staple for my whole family to come here and buy your little knick-knacks.”