By Ana Good
Much to the delight of holiday enthusiasts, the beloved Crestline Christmas Shoppe is once again open for business.
Jan Cobb, one of the shop’s owners, said that ever since she and Susie Hammers shuttered the store’s picture window back in 2012, she has been asked repeatedly when and if the Christmas Shoppe at the heart of Mountain Brook’s Crestline Village would ever reopen. Even the Chamber of Commerce received regular calls about it, she said.
“People said it reminded them of their childhood,” said Cobb.
On Sept. 10, Cobb and Hammers unveiled the shop’s new window display, and Cobb said the store has been welcomed back with open arms.
“We had people waiting outside the store the very first day we opened back up, waiting for us to unlock the door,” she said.
The Christmas Shoppe, which first opened in 2005, was the creation of Cobb and Hammers, sorority sisters at Samford University. Their husbands, Mike and Scooter, played football at Samford and the four have been friends ever since.
When the friends bought and opened Crestline Pharmacy on Church Street in 1990, the women took charge of developing a gift shop at the front of the pharmacy. The gift shop portion of the pharmacy features seasonal items, wedding gifts and, of course, Christmas décor.
Through the years, the pharmacy acquired the Chinaberry Antique Shop around the corner from the entrance. At first, said Cobb, the extra space was used for storage.
“But then Susie and I started thinking it was such a cute little space with a perfect picture window,” said Cobb, “and we wanted to do something more with it. That’s when we decided to transform it exclusively into a Christmas shop.”
Cobb said the store offers “absolutely a lot of different styles,” everything, she said, from elegant to very fun. This year’s trends, she said, are glitter-friendly.
“Everything lights up now,” she said. “It’s the latest and greatest.”
For now, the plan is to keep the Christmas Shoppe open through the middle of January, though some customers have asked Cobb to consider opening the store at least a couple of days every month.
The Crestline Christmas Shoppe is located around the corner from Crestline Pharmacy at 60 Church Street. It is open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. during the week and from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturdays. As Christmas begins to approach, the store will offer extended hours. ϖ
