Christmas Decor Experiencing Sales Increases Despite Economic Headwinds

Christmas Decor, the premium holiday decorating service franchise with over 300 units open nationwide, is all about making the winter season magical. The holiday lighting installation, maintenance, support and personalized designs they offer clients are a bright light in their lives that they look forward to all year — which is why demand hasn’t slowed for the brand, despite an economic recession.

“It’s a service that makes you feel good. It represents a lot of different things: family, comfort and magic — it has a high emotional appeal,” explained Brandon Stephens, president of Christmas Decor. “Celebrating Christmas is one of the last things to go for families when it comes to what they choose to forego financially.”

The recent numbers from the franchise show that’s proving to be true. During the pandemic, when many families faced financial insecurity, Christmas decorating services took off. Christmas Decor’s sales grew 47% in 2021, the brand’s 26th year in business. 2020 also saw double-digit growth for the franchise. The company’s commercial services also grew, with businesses wanting to stand out and drive more traffic with edgy and grand displays. 

“It has to do with how people react if there is an economic downturn. If they retreat, they're retreating home and trying to figure out ways to enjoy that experience a little bit more,” said Stephens. “That’s why we’re optimistic; we have found that our customers are rising up and still decorating.”

And while the brand is only at the beginning of its 2022 winter season, commitments from clients are already tracking at about a 20% increase, Stephens said. Christmas Decor expects to have a busy and very profitable end-of-year. 

“The last couple of years, our whole industry has really grown,” he said. “We're already having a solid year this year, and the most explosive part of the season is still out in front of us over the next three or four weeks.”

Another factor that is important to Christmas Decor’s model standing tall despite the current state of the economy is that the brand’s customers are typically a more well-off demographic with the money to spend on a luxury like hiring a professional decorator.

“It's not for the faint of heart, and it's not inexpensive. Our average residential installation in the United States is around $2,000,” explained Stephens. “So our clients tend to be slightly more economically resilient than the average American consumer. And they're committed to it; they don't take it lightly and don't just decide not to do it this year. It's pretty powerful for recurring demand.”

About Christmas Decor 

Founded in 1986 by Blake Smith, Christmas Decor has become the leading holiday decorating brand in the U.S. and Canada. Originally created as an off-season supplement to the landscaping business, the Texas-based franchise now brings holiday cheer to over 300 communities across North America, ultimately creating jobs for 3,000-plus seasonal workers that might otherwise be unemployed. Backed by a strong business model and double-digit revenue increase year-over-year for the last 11 years, Christmas Decor is looking to grow in markets across the U.S. and Canada. For more information on Christmas Decor, please visit https://www.christmasdecor.net/franchise/.