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

Mike Golomb became a Christmas devotee after a search to discover the perfect vintage unpleasant holiday sweater resulted in a collection of over 30,000 of them. More than a decade later, this unintended hobby is now a flourishing side business.

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

Mike and Kelli built Christmas shopping stores on the bet they weren’t alone in their thrill for holiday cheer—and they were correct. While signs of the period creep into retail shops and onto Netflix earlier and earlier (even before the jack-o’-lantern hits the compost bin), for these two, Christmas is evergreen. It’s not a holiday or even a period—it’s a way of life.

Regardless of your feelings about Christmas, Mike and Kelli’s stories display that whatever your earnings, there’s probably a niche economy that shares it.

In the spirit of the period, peek inside seven online Christmas stores selling holiday cheer. From tree decorations to festive gifts to bags designed just for wreaths, these founders snagged their own distinctive corner of the holiday economy.

7 distinctive and inspiring online Christmas stores 

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

1. Jammie Claus

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

Jammie Claus is the outcome of four generations of daughters who created a household custom around the character of Mrs. Claus as the bringer of Christmas Eve pajamas. They invited customers to celebrate that custom 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 commence their own custom.

Jammie Claus is also a social enterprise committed to empowering women through narrative—Mrs. Claus as a powerful chief—and through profits from the brand’s Empowerment head scarves, which back organizations providing skills and employment to underserved communities. “Every selection we make, we inquire if this aligns with our mission,” says Laura. “If the respond is no, then we don’t pursue it.”

On launching in just eight months

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

2. My Green Christmas

Christmas store: Holiday crackers with less waste
Location: London, UK
Head elf: Joshua Wood

Joshua realized Christmas produces a lot of plastic waste. challenging pressed to discover Christmas crackers without disposable plastic toys, he created his own. My Green Christmas crackers still contain the silly document hat and a dad joke—some things are sacred—but instead of a cheap plastic toy, the cracker is packed with seed kits to develop your own veggies or flowers.

The business has grown to a remote throng of three but, for now, Joshua only does elf work during the holidays. His career in the software industry keeps him busy in the off-period.

The fringe benefits of running a holiday shop

“Since we started this assignment, we have been inspired to become more environmentally amiable in other areas of our life,” says Joshua.

3. Rent-A-Christmas 

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

In 2013, Judah and Kristen were spending their first Christmas together. They wanted to kit out their recent York City apartment in packed holiday splendor, but there was one issue: Where would they store everything arrive 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 recent York with the packed holiday encounter—then tear it all down for their customers when the period is over.

We don’t have a packed-year runway in which to generate turnover, so it is imperative that we schedule everything.

Judah and Kristen Parness

Timing is everything at the holidays

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

4. Santa’s Bags

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

After first getting into the seasonal lighting business, Jared went all in, and has since launched three more Christmas shops. Santa’s Bags was the respond to an annual issue: What to do with Christmas decorations during the other 11 months of the year (that is, if you haven’t rented them from Judah and Kristen). Trees, Christmas lights, and holiday ornaments pack up into tidy, compact bags rather than clutter up precious storage space.

On surviving the seasonal surge

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

5. The unpleasant Sweater Store

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

Mike once sat out a Christmas event because his attempts to discover an on-theme unpleasant sweater came up short (even though his kindergarten educator mom owned a closetful). 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 unpleasant sweaters. He now sells them, along with his own creations—sweaters that hold a beer bottle in a front pocket—via his own website. He even once partnered with White Castle to make a dedicated design for the quick food chain.

The unpleasant Sweater Store has been a side hustle for Mike for over a decade. While the business is still seasonal, Mike says it doesn’t make sense to hire staff—temp elfs (his friends and household), after all, are willing to work for “eggnog.”

On preparing for the spikes

“schedule ahead,” says Mike. “If you have items that sell quick, pre-package them. And make sure you have a distribute of packing supplies, as nothing is more frustrating than running out at 10 p.m. to discover a 24-hour store that sells tape and ink.”

6. Fabulous Fairytales

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

Paul worked in the fashion industry for years before changing careers and becoming a gardener. It was one of his clients—a woman who asked him to dress her garden for the holidays—who ignited his adore 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 quick-paced business packed into a short space of period. Enjoy the ride.

Paul Clancy

Surviving—and thriving—at Christmas

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

7. 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 packed swing at Kelli’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 period, and she was correct. My Christmas Crate—her third and most profitable subscription business—ships the spirit of the period all year long.

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

Keeping up the Christmas cheer

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

Business ideas for the holiday period

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

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

Illustrations by Amanda Berglund