THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, November 2, 1994 TAG: 9411010080
SECTION: ISLE OF WIGHT CITIZEN PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Business
SOURCE: BY ALLISON T. WILLIAMS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SMITHFIELD LENGTH: Short : 44 lines
SOPPERS WILL HAVE no trouble finding Santa Claus in Smithfield this year.
He's all over historic downtown's newest specialty shop, The Christmas Store.
The fat, red elf is hanging off Christmas tree branches. He's decorating tabletops, shelves and window sills as holiday ornaments and figurines.
The Christmas Store, which opened last month at 124 Main Street, stocks a variety of unique holiday decorations, said Jim Abicht, the shop's owner. The assortment includes fragile handblown glass ornaments and nutcrackers handcrafted in Germany, one-of-a-kind Santa figurines, and brass ornaments designed from an old Smithfield Packing Co. packaging stencil.
``You can get decorations at The Christmas Store that you won't be able to find in just any place,'' Abicht said. ``Our pig-related ornaments have sold very well.''
According to Abicht, Christmas has become big business nationwide in today's retail market. He is confident Smithfield's downtown can support The Christmas Store's seasonal theme throughout the year.
``With all the traffic in downtown, I think it can handle a specialty business,'' Abicht said. ``We have been wanting to do this for some time.''
A growing number of people have started giving Christmas decorations for wedding and birthday gifts, Abicht said.
``These gifts will never wear out . . . and can be passed down through the years,'' Abicht said. ``And I think tourists are always looking to buy something special that will help them remember visits to certain places.'' MEMO: The Christmas Store is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through
Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. It will be open daily during December.
ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by JOHN H. SHEALLY II
Nancy Garner manages The Christmas Store, owned by Jim Abicht.
by CNB