A once popular discount retailer will close all of its stores across New Jersey (and the nation) after all.

Christmas Shops is now likely to close all stores nationwide — including 10 in New Jersey — multiple outlets (including the Wall Street Journal) reported on Monday.

The chain's owners filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection back in May in the hopes of reducing their debts. But they have since defaulted on a loan as part of that deal, making liquidation of their assets nearly inevitable in the coming days.

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The chain closed 10 underperforming stores earlier this year as part of the Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. But now the chain's remaining 70 stores nationwide be forced to close unless a buyer is found this week.

Liquidation sales could begin as soon as this Thursday (July 6), according to The Wall Street Journal. 

In New Jersey, this includes all 10 of their stores, which are located in:

  • Brick
  • Bridgewater
  • Cherry Hill
  • Deptford
  • Freehold
  • Mays Landing
  • Paramus
  • Rockaway
  • Springfield
  • Woodland Park

The first store was first opened in Massachusetts in the 1950s, NPR reports. Bed Bath & Beyond, which had owned the chain since 2003, sold it to Handil Holdings, LLC, in 2020.

Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, the closures will include seven of the chain's remaining retail stores. They are located in:

  • Allentown
  • Erie
  • Harrisburg
  • Moosic
  • York

The company previously closed stores in Downington, Pa. and Lancaster, Pa.

In 2022, they rebranded themselves as CTS in an attempt to avoid confusion that they were just a Christmas holiday-themed retailer. At that time company officials planned on expanding the retailer by opening as many as 15 new stores nationwide. 

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