DECK the
HALLS
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, thanks to Leanne and Neville de Smet’s iconic Bredbo business.
It’s a special time of the year at the Bredbo Christmas Barn. Head elves Leanne and Neville de Smet have been run off their twinkly toes, unpacking nearly 10,000 different Christmas ornaments, with help from their daughter Carly and a team of Santa’s helpers. The barn boasts the largest Christmas range in Australia, if not the world. Moving their store from Canberra to Bredbo in 2006 and changing the product mix to a dedicated Christmas collection turned out to be a wise decision for the de Smets. “Over 5.5 million cars pass our gates on the Monaro Highway, travelling at only 40kmh to 60kmh,” Neville says. It’s easy to pull over, but driver beware, your visit will not be a short one – this is one place you won’t want to leave!” With 500 square metres of magic and merriment, the barn is a true Christmas wonderland, with nearly 100 beautifully decorated trees, wreaths and garlands that come in every conceivable theme and colour. “It takes about five months (January to May) to fully reimagine the store every year,” says Leanne, responsible for the bulk of merchandising. “We never grow tired of customers telling us that on their world travels they’ve never seen a better Christmas shop.” Leanne is a control freak, a trait her staff have learned to love and accept. The stock and displays in store are never the same. “Our only constant is change,” she says. The de Smets provide the ultimate Christmas experience with their massive range. All senses are covered with Christmas tunes and “Christmas in a Jar” scented candles. They even make snow. Real snow. “Last year we made snow over two weekends,” Neville says. “It needs to be minus three degrees for at least four hours to get a good cover, which makes for a very long and cold night for me.” The store motto is “Too much is never enough”. New stock is unpacked daily, with new and unique collections sourced from boutique designers and artisans worldwide. “Christmas is all about family. For some it’s about the holy family, for others their own family,” says Neville, the logistics elf and PR guy who loves a chat. During his downtime, you will find him on his nearby farm where he breeds beef cattle and handfeeds Santa’s reindeer.
A career in retail
Leanne’s parents started a gift and homeware business in Canberra in the early 1970s. So keen to join the family business, Leanne left school at the end of Year 11 and never looked back. In 1979 she and Neville were married and months later opened their first store, Unique Boutique. It began as a bed and
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