Merchandise and Display Information

1. Bronner's features over 50,000 trims and gifts for all seasons, reasons and budgets.

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

3. More than 700 whimsical, animated figures enchant guests in the salesroom.

4. As many as 100,000 individual lights illuminate the salesroom.

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

6. Bronner's stocks "Merry Christmas" ornaments in more than 70 languages.

7. Bronner's carries Bibles in numerous languages.

8. About 1,000 figurines comprise Bronner's Hummel collection.

9. Bronner's complete collection of Precious Moments figurines numbers 1,700, one of each subject  produced for purchase in the collections' first 25 years.

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

11. There are over 500 different styles of Nativity scenes for guests to enjoy in the Bronner salesroom.

12. Bronner's patented life-size Nativity has been shipped to all the continents.

13. Over 6,000 different styles of unique ornaments are featured at Bronner's.

14. Bronner's artists personalize over 100,000 ornaments annually. One of Bronner's ornament artists has personally handpainted nearly -million ornaments during her 25 years at Bronner's.

15. Approximately 50% of the glass ornaments sold are Bronner's own designs.

16. Each year, approximately 1.3 million glass ornaments and 135,000 light sets are sold at Bronner's.

17. 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.

18. Nearly 700,000 feet of garland are sold at Bronner's annually.

19. Visitors purchase 100,000 postcards of Bronner's each year.

20. Half of the items Bronner's carries sell for under $10, and two thirds are priced under $20.

21. Bronner's "Annual Dated" Christmas ornament series originated in 1974.

22. Bronner's annual "Birth of Christ" ornament series was introduced in 1986 with the ornament entitled "The Annunciation."

23. Bronner's introduced a new "Ethnic Christmas Customs" ornament in 1987. A "Merry Christmas" greeting in a particular country's language is featured on the front side of the ornament with a brief description of the country's Christmas customs on the reverse side.

24. Bronner's produced its first, custom annual ornament form in 2000.

Visitor/Customer Information

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

2. The record number of Bronner guests in one day was 25,981 on Nov. 26, 1994.

3. As many as 2,900 guests have walked through the front door in the first half hour after opening on a Sunday.

4. In descending order from greatest to least, Bronner's has the highest number of guests from the states of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Pennsylvania.

5. Each year over 2000 motorcoach tours visit Bronner's.

6. Virtually every month, Bronner's is visited by travelers from all 50 states, Canada and many other nations.

7. Nearly one million guests have viewed the "World of Bronner's" presentation, currently on DVD video, since its June 1, 1984, premier.

8. As many as 12,000 children visit Santa seasonally from the day after Thanksgiving through December 24.

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

10. Bronner's has about 900 resale accounts.

11. Christmas displays have been sold to over 5,000 commercial and industrial accounts across the nation, including over 2,000 cities and 1,000 shopping centers.

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

13. 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" and "America's Funniest People;" accordionist Myron Floren of "Lawrence Welk" fame; Ann Jillian; Maria, Rosmarie, and Elisabeth von Trapp; First Lady Laura Bush; and actresses Polly Bergen and Cindy Williams.

14. 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.

Building and Grounds Information

1. Beautifully landscaped grounds cover 27 acres at Bronner's. (The entire complex is 45 acres.)

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

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

4. Fifty-six decorated lampposts adorn the Bronner grounds.

5. There are 24 figures on display in Bronner's outdoor, life-size Nativity.

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

7. Over 100 flags from many nations adorn the Bronner building and outdoor lampposts.

8. Each summer over 2,400 individual flowering and ornamental plants complement the Bronner landscaping.

9. Bronner's parking lot accommodates 1,250 cars and 50 busses.

10. 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.

11. With Austria's special permission, Bronner's built a replica of the Oberndorf, Austria, Silent Night Memorial Chapel in 1992 as a tribute to the Christmas hymn "Silent Night" and in thankfulness to God.

12. A verse of "Silent Night" is displayed in over 300 languages on the Silent Night chapel grounds.

13. "25 Christmas Lane" is written in over 40 languages on signs scattered around Bronner's grounds.

14. A description of Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland is available in 10 languages.

Advertising and Promotion

1. Bronner's toll-free number, 1-800-ALL-YEAR, can be dialed anywhere in the continental U.S. for recorded information.

2. Bronner's billboards number more than 60 and are located in seven states.

3. Bronner's most distant billboard is on I-75 near Ocala, Florida, north of Disney World.

4. Bronner's advertises in over 80 different publications and newspapers.

5. Bronner's M.I. Hummel Days promotion originated in 1980.

6. Bronner's first annual Precious Moments Days event was held in 1983.

7. 1992 was the first year for Bronner's Department 56 annual event.

8. In October 1996, Bronner's established its web site at http://www.bronners.com.

9. Bronner's on-line store at www.bronners.com offers approximately 3,000 items for purchase.

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

11. 1991 was the first year for Bronner's retail catalog. Over 3 million Bronner's Christmas Favorites catalogs are distributed annually.

12. The call center, catalog and website fulfillment, and shipping are all done in-house.

Bronner Historical Information

1. Bronner's has been in business since 1945.

2. Bronner's three original showrooms were the Main Showroom (opened in 1954), the Tannenbaum Shop (opened in 1966) and Bronner's Bavarian Corner (opened in 1971).

3. Bronner's original building was purchased by Star of the West Milling Co. and currently houses offices and showroom space for them.

4. The present Bronner building opened June 8, 1977. The first salesroom expansion opened May 1991. The most recent salesroom expansion opened May 2002.

5. On September 20, 1984, Bronner Screen Printing was sold to its long-time manager, Don Fischer, and his wife Karen. It was renamed Memtron Technologies.

Awards and Honors

1. The governor of Michigan designated Bronner's as an "Embassy for Michigan Tourism" in 1976, "in recognition of outstanding and significant contributions to the Michigan tourism industry."

2. In 1985, AAA Automobile Club of Michigan listed Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland among the top-ten, man-made attractions in the state.

3. The N.O.E.L. (National Ornaments and Electric Lights Christmas) Association presented Bronner's with its first annual Retailer of the Year Award in New York in 1981. Bronner's also received this award in 1994 and 2001.

4. 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."

5. In 1990, 1991 and 1992, Bronner's received Keep Michigan Beautiful Awards in recognition of programs and activities that substantially contribute to beautifying the state and enhancing the environment.

6. In 1993, AAA-Chicago Motor Club recognized Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland as travel treasure in their November/December issue of Home & Away, one of the nation's largest circulation travel magazines. According to the magazine, travel treasures are unique attractions selected for their appeal to members of the American Automobile Association.

7. Wally Bronner was honored as Michigan Master Entrepreneur of the Year in 1995.

8. In 1996, Wally received the Frank N. Andersen Spirit of Philanthropy Award. The crystal award honors individuals who have a history of outstanding leadership. The recipients also display an extraordinary personal commitment to improving the quality of life for Saginaw County residents.

9. In 1997, Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland received national recognition as one of four winners of the Blue Chip Enterprise Initiative Award. The award, sponsored by MassMutual, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Nation's Business, and First Business, recognizes successful businesses that have overcome small-business challenges.

10. Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland received the Goebel National Retailer of the Year Award in 1998. Bronner's had previously received this award for the Midwest Region in 1997.

11. Strang Communications president Stephen Strang presented Wally with the first Impact in Ministry Award in 2001. The award recognizes an individual who has made a significant impact by furthering the kingdom of God through his role in the gift industry.

12. Wally and Irene were presented with the first annual Wally and Irene Muscular Dystrophy Association Spirit of Sharing Award for the Saginaw region in 2001.

13. In 2002, Wally received the Christus Vivit Award from Concordia Lutheran Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. The award recognizes an exemplary life of Christian service.

14. In 2002, Davenport University presented Wally with the first Wallace J. Bronner Excellence in Business Award, recognizing exemplary business and community leadership.

15. At the Michigan Tourism Conference in Midland on October 6, 2003, Governor Jennifer Granholm and Travel Commission Chairman Steve Hamp (Henry Ford Museum) presented Wally with the first-ever Outstanding Achievement in Michigan Tourism Award. The award will be presented annually to a tourism industry member who has demonstrated outstanding achievements to promote Michigan tourism.