Shop ‘til you drop

DÉCOR at a discount

GO TO GRAND BEND TO FIND HOLIDAY BARGAINS

By Janis Wallace

If visions of sugar plum fairies, twinkling trees and glittering icicles dance in your head, find your fill of all things Christmas at Grand Bend’s GreenBucks Country Christmas Store. “We have décor, snow globes, trees and decorations, wreaths, bedding, dishes and stockings,” says Matt DeJong, who owns it with his wife Julie.

Available all year, this array of Christmas stock delights those whose hearts warm at the thought of holiday magic. People come from all along the 401 corridor – from Windsor to Toronto – during the season, forming line-ups for the entire day on weekends. DeJong recommends visiting on a weekday if possible. “We had 1,000 people a day easily on weekends last year.” He thinks the appeal is in the competitive prices. “We keep things reasonable.” It’s also the store itself. “People say as soon as they come through the door, they feel happy.”

As well as consistently low prices, Friday door-crashers are popular. Three or four specials, on items specifically ordered for the deal, are offered each Friday. To be in the know, DeJong recommends following the FaceBook page to see what is on sale each week.

The Christmas store is the second outlet for the DeJongs. They purchased the main store from the retiring owner. GreenBucks Dollar Discount has kitchenware to hardware, crafts to cleaning, pets to party, linens and home décor. DeJong says they carry higher end versions of the usual dollar-store merchandise.

The Country Christmas Store opened November 2021. Santas, gnomes and snowmen invite visitors to wander through the wonderland of “everything Christmas” as DeJong describes it. There is a style to suit all tastes: country, glam, retro, traditional red and green or modern black and white. There is something for every room in the house.

The main store also carries some Christmas stock because there is so much that doesn’t all fit into the Christmas store. Closer to December 25, it switches to crafts and bags. 

At both locations, the Greenbucks stores make a drive to Grand Bend worthwhile, with holiday decorations galore.

● FOR MORE INFORMATION • GREENBUCKS COUNTRY CHRISTMAS STORE • 10005 Lakeshore Road, Grand Bend • https://www.facebook.com/greenbucksdiscount/ GREENBUCKS DOLLAR DISCOUNT STORE • 99 Ontario Street South, Grand Bend • 519-238-5058