Member Highlight: Beth's - A Christmas & Holiday Shop
We are excited to feature our members, Beth’s Christmas and Holiday Shop! Hear from CEO, Alana Pabst on their story!
🌲 Tell us a little about how Beth's Christmas got started?
My family and my in-law's family have always been big into decorating for the holidays. My sister-in-law, Kendall, worked in retail and merchandising in NYC for several years. We always shopped at Christmas stores when we traveled, no matter the time of year.
We realized there is no year-round Christmas store in NC between the mountains and the beach. So two months after the birth of my twin boys, we started Beth's, naming it after my late Mother-in-Law. We started with Christmas decor but we have since expanded to carry decor and gifts for all holidays!
🌲 Did you transition to this from another industry?
My first career was as an opera singer and voice teacher. But when COVID happened and singing in public stopped, I started looking for the next thing I wanted to do.
🌲 Tell us more about the opening of the retail store. Where can we find you in the future to shop in-store?!
We are opening two booths at the new Painted Tree Boutiques store that is opening in North Raleigh on Creedmoor Rd. The space is still under construction so the exact date of the grand opening is still up in the air. We also do booths at many outdoor markets throughout the year like Falling for Local at Dix Park and A Shopping SPREE hosted by the Junior League of Raleigh.
🌲 Do you do e-commerce as well?
Yes! We started our business primarily online and it is still a huge part of our business. We ship nationwide and even internationally. You can find our whole catalog of amazing products at BethsChristmas.com
🌲 What struggles were you facing that prompted you to move into the Cowarehouse?
Unlike traditional retailers, we carry items for all seasons year-round. You would be amazed at the amount of Halloween decor we sell in April and the amount of Easter decor we sell in July. Keeping all that inventory on hand requires a lot of space and our garage was completely out of the room.
Also, we are a small family business, and my sister-in-law lives in New York. So the day-to-day on-site business has to be handled primarily by me. With twin toddlers, occasionally I can't make it to the warehouse during traditional working hours. The fact that The Loading Dock can receive shipments for us if I can't be there was a huge draw over traditional warehousing.
🌲 Is there anything else you would like to share? Any upcoming sales or pop-ups?
We hold an Annual Preview Gala at our home every year in September. We decorate our house from floor to ceiling with all our design collections of Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas. It's a chance to see this season's pieces on display like you might have them in your home and purchase them ahead of the rush before anything sells out.
