SMITHFIELD, Va. -- It is still summer and Christmas is four months away, but for Jim Abicht and his store, The Christmas Store, it is Christmas every single day.
"It's working to our advantage,” Abicht told News 3 on Sunday. “We're here and we've got stuff for people to buy."
Ornaments, trees, displays, almost anything you can think of are on display at the store. There is more than one Santa Claus on display as well as other figurines.
The store has been in business for 26 years at its Main Street location in Downtown Smithfield. Customers will find different Christmas items and objects as they walk down each aisle with Christmas music playing throughout the store.
"Christmas is a feel-good time, for most people,” Abicht said. “We sell feel-good stuff so therefore that's the only we can attribute it too."
For his customers, walking into the store is a break from the pandemonium of the coronavirus pandemic.
"It's almost like a sensory overload, to walk in here,” Abicht said. “We think of it - we don't get grumpy customers, we get a lot of happy people because you have to be happy around Santa."
The store also carries Halloween items such as witches and a picture frame where the eyes light up and shakes upon pressing a button. The store sells items related to other holidays like Easter and Independence Day, but no matter which holiday is coming up, Christmas reigns supreme.
"We see a lot of smiles here and we like that."
The store is located on 108 Main Street in Smithfield and is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., except on Sunday when it’s open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Store hours change slightly after Labor Day.
More information on the store and a preview to some of the items sold can also be found on the Christmas Store's website.
