Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Tucked amid stores at Taubman Prestige Outlets Chesterfield is Christmas in St. Louis (636-489-3826, christmasandcity.com), a shrine to the holidays that brings “the most wonderful time of the year” to life.
“We’re all about bringing the spirit of Christmas to shoppers,” says store manager Jeannette Rensing. “When people walk in, they’re here with a smile—the store sells itself.”
Rows of ornaments—from glittery shoes to cheerful Santas and reindeer—line the perimeter. All of them can be personalized for free by an on-site artist. Themed Christmas trees give the space a winter-wonderland feel, and strings of lights and vintage favorites like a rotating color-wheel projector add sparkle. In addition to Christmas decorations, the store carries gifts such as jewelry, wine stoppers, and singing stuffed animals.
“Personalized family ornaments are our most popular item—it’s a cherished keepsake,” says Rensing. “We even have some people buying ornaments and personalizing them for previous years that they’ve missed.”
Christmas in St. Louis is the first store in the Midwest for N&F Global Corp., which owns Christmas in the City stores on both the East Coast and the West Coast.
“The Midwest has very strong family roots and holiday traditions, so when Taubman reached out to us, we thought that St. Louis was the perfect place to expand,” says N&F’s Michael Brotheman. “What I feel is the true spirit of Christmas is how I see Christmas celebrated in St. Louis.”
Although at press time, Christmas in St. Louis was only contracted through the end of 2013, Brotheman says the company is in the process of making it permanent.
“Our goal is to be open in St. Louis year-round, and it’s very likely that we’ll be open in 2014,” he says. “We always keep the Christmas ambience, but we feature other holidays, too, depending on the time of year. We also have gifts that work year-round for birthdays and anniversaries.”
