Christmas stores come in every possible size - from tiny, creaky-floored New England shops to full-blown retail theme parks - but when you line them up state by state, a few patterns jump out.
Below are the most interesting takeaways from our nationwide survey of 3,022 shoppers.
Key Findings
New York doesn’t just love Christmas - it curates it.
Manhattan alone contributes Bergdorf Goodman, Macy’s Herald Square, and Saks Fifth Avenue, all of which are essentially Christmas stages rather than stores.
It becomes apparent that when it comes to Christmas, New Yorkers love their Christmas shopping to be big, theatrical, and immersive.
The colder states love nostalgia-heavy stores.
Places like Vermont (The Vermont Country Store, Country Christmas Loft) and Michigan (Bronner’s + The Santa House Gift Shop) gravitate toward quieter, homespun Christmas charm.
These are the “old wooden floor” and “pine-scented doorway” kind of shops - the ones that feel like a snow globe you stepped into.
Tourist towns are among the most popular Christmas shopping destinations.
Towns like Frankenmuth, Sedona, and Leavenworth all feature heavily - shoppers clearly consider the festive experience more than just the retail, but also the wider Christmassy surroundings.
It’s easier to feel Christmassy when the town itself feels like a holiday set.
California destinations appear 5 times, which is surprising.
San Diego, Solvang, Los Angeles, Sausalito, and Cambria feature among shoppers’ favorites. A good tactic to draw in shoppers is that these places don’t tend to mimic a traditional, snowy Christmas - instead, they do it in their own unique ways.
Southern towns lean into Christmas as an experience.
Places like DeWayne’s (North Carolina), Tis the Season (New Mexico), and Always Christmas (Georgia) emphasize experiences that are not only family-friendly but are also walk-through environments rather than traditional ornament-led stores.
Some of them almost appear like mini holiday theme parks – such as the use of scented candles, oversized snowmen, and soundtrack loops.
A handful of the “stores” are really destination malls.
King of Prussia, Mall of America, NorthPark Center, The Galleria, Tysons Corner, West Acres, and Aventura Mall all made the cut.
The pattern here isn’t about individual shops - it’s about malls that turn themselves into holiday villages, complete with experiences, Santa meet-and-greets, and showpiece décor. And shoppers don’t seem to mind.
Mountain and ski towns show up disproportionately.
Places like Manitou Springs (CO), North Conway (NH), White Sulphur Springs (WV), and Stillwater (MN) signal the same trend: Christmas feels more “authentic” when it exists alongside evergreens, cold air, and postcard-worthy scenery.
Some states clearly love artisan-style Christmas over mass retail.
Rhode Island (The Gift Box), Louisiana (Not Just Christmas), and Arizona (Copper Canyon Christmas, Feliz Navidad Sedona) all lean toward handmade, boutique, or highly curated festive shops rather than maximalist retail.
A few stores blur the line between shop and museum.
The Nutcracker Lady in Leavenworth, Byers’ Choice Museum (PA), Käthe Wohlfahrt (MN), and several others show how Christmas retail often becomes a cultural showcase - part gift shop, part exhibit, part memory-lane nostalgia.
There’s a quiet Midwestern thread of “community-first Christmas.”
Shops in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, the Dakotas, Wyoming, and Wisconsin feel rooted in local tradition more than spectacle. They lean into warmth, practicality, and family-run charm rather than flash.
Final Thoughts
What this list ultimately shows is that America doesn’t have a single “type” of Christmassy store - it has regional interpretations of the season. Some places go big, theatrical, and over-the-top.
Others rely on nostalgia, craft, and cozy tradition. And then there are the towns that essentially transform themselves into holiday postcards, with the store acting as the finishing touch.
If anything, the biggest insight is that Christmas shopping is never just about what you buy. It’s about where you buy it - and how the place makes you feel the moment you walk through the door.
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The article "The Most Festive Christmas Stores in the U.S., According to Poll [2025]" first appeared on MarketBeat.
