18 Things You Didn’t Know About Bronner’s – The World’s Largest Christmas Store

Boy In Bronners Christmas Store
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'Tis the season all year long at Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland, the World’s Largest Christmas Store® in Frankenmuth.

Open 361 days of the year, Bronner’s brings the warmth and wonder of the Christmas season to guests year round. Wayne Bronner, president and CEO of Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland, lists 18 things you may not have known about the World's Largest Christmas Store.

 

1. More than 350 decorated Christmas trees are beautifully displayed in Bronner's salesroom.

2. Decorations and gifts from 70 nations can be found at Bronner's.

3. Bronner's carries over 150 styles of nutcrackers.

4. Bronner's artists personalize over 100,000 ornaments annually. One of Bronner's ornament artists has personally handpainted nearly ½-million ornaments during her 25 years at Bronner's. Approximately 50% of the glass ornaments sold are Bronner's own designs.

5. If all the light sets sold in one year at Bronner's were stretched out in a continuous line, they would span approximately 530 miles.

6. Movie star John "the Duke" Wayne ordered a Santa suit from Bronner's by telephone on December 15, 1976.

7. Sports figures who have visited Bronner's include former University of Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler, Detroit Tigers' owner Tom Monaghan (who arrived at Bronner's in his Domino's Pizza helicopter!), former Tiger pitcher Milt Wilcox, former Tiger catcher Lance Parrish, former Tiger outfielder Willie Horton, race car driver Al Unser, Jr., "Mr. Hockey" Gordie Howe, and Detroit Redwing Sergei Fedorov.

8. Celebrities who have visited Bronner's recently include former Michigan Governor John Engler and First Lady Michelle with triplet daughters; former Michigan Governor James Blanchard; Olympic Gold Medalist Dorothy Hamill; vocalists Little Jimmie Dickins, Jim Nabors, Pat Boone, Marie Osmond, Anita Bryant, Andy Williams, the Lennon Sisters, the Lettermen, Ted Nugent, the Ink Spots, Faith Hill, Twila Paris and sister Starla, and Ana Cani; television's Dave Coulier of "Full House"; First Lady Laura Bush; and actresses Polly Bergen and Cindy Williams.

9. Bronner's was the first recipient of the worldwide Golden Santa Claus Award in February, 1986, at the Nuremberg International Toy Fair in Germany. The annual award is presented for "creativity and new ideas in the Christmas business as well as for set-up and presentation of Christmas articles.

10. Bronner's electric bill averages $1,250.00 per day.

11. Beamer the Bronner Star was born in 1999, becoming Bronner's mascot.

12. Bronner's online store offers approximately 3,000 items for purchase.

13. The overall size of Bronner's building is 320,000 sq. ft. (approx. 7.35 acres or 5.5 football fields of space) with 96,000 sq. ft. (2.2 acres 1.7 football fields of space) devoted to the salesroom.

14. Approximately 100,000 outdoor Christmas lights illuminate Bronner's grounds every evening throughout the year.

15. Christmas Lane, Bronner's own thoroughfare, is 1/2-mile long.

16. Bronner's giant outdoor Santa towers 17 feet and the giant snowman is 15 feet tall.

17. The weekend after Thanksgiving is Bronner's busiest of the year with as many as 50,000 guests.

18. Over two million guests come to Bronner's annually.

 

About the Author: Wayne Bronner is the president and CEO of Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland. He has overseen the day-to-day operations of the World’s Largest Christmas Store since 1998. Bronner’s is a multifaceted business that includes a brick-and-mortar business, online sales, commercial accounts, catalog sales, and resale and custom ornament accounts.