Bronner's Trivia

HISTORY

  • Wally Bronner originated BRONNER’S CHRISTmas WONDERLAND in 1945.
  • Bronner’s is owned and managed by Bronner family members.
  • Bronner's three original salesrooms were the Main Salesroom (1954), Tannenbaum Shop (1966), and Bavarian Corner (1971).
  • The present Bronner building opened June 8, 1977.
  • Building expansions followed in 1991, 2000, 2002, and 2003.
  • In 1992, with Austria's permission, Bronner's erected a replica of the Oberndorf (Salzburg), Austria, Silent Night Memorial Chapel in tribute to the Christmas hymn "Silent Night" and in thankfulness to God.
  • Bronner's motto is: "Enjoy CHRISTmas, it's HIS Birthday; Enjoy LIFE, it's HIS Way"

BUILDING AND GROUNDS INFORMATION

  • Bronner's is the world's largest Christmas store, covering 2.2 acres (1.7 football fields) of shopping.
  • Beautifully landscaped grounds cover 27 acres, with 7.35 acres (5.5 football fields) of building in Bronner's entire complex.
  • Bronner's exclusive, life-sized, fiberglass Nativity set is molded locally and painted by Bronner's airbrush artist.
  • Three giant outdoor Santas tower 17 feet, and the lofty snowman is 15 feet.
  • Bronner's parking lot accommodates 1,470 parking spots.
  • Bronner's electrical bill averages $650 per day.
  • Approximately 100,000 lights illuminate Bronner's ½-mile long Christmas Lane every evening from dusk until midnight.

MERCHANDISE AND DISPLAYS

  • Bronner's features over 50,000 trims and gifts for all seasons, reasons, and budgets.
  • Many of Bronner's items sell for under $10, and two-thirds sell for under $20.
  • Over 550 styles of Nativity scenes are available.
  • Decorations and gifts from 25 nations are displayed.
  • Bronner staff personalize 600,000 ornaments annually.
  • Approximately 50% of the glass ornaments sold are Bronner's own designs, handcrafted by global artisans exclusively for Bronner's.
  • "Merry Christmas" ornaments in more than 40 languages are among the 8,000 styles of ornaments available.
  • Each year Bronner's guests purchase more than 2 million ornaments and over 125,000 light sets (approximately 485 miles of light cords).
  • More than 300 decorated trees are displayed in Bronner's salesroom.
  • Each decorated tree at Bronner's includes a Nativity ornament.

PROGRAM CENTER

  • Bronner's program center invites guests to view collectible, Nativity, ornament and business-memorabilia collections. Video presentations about the store, Silent Night Memorial Chapel and late originator Wally Bronner are shown daily.

VISITOR INFORMATION

  • Over two million guests visit annually from throughout the world, including 2,000 motorcoach groups.
  • The weekend after Thanksgiving is Bronner's busiest of the year with as many as 50,000 guests.

AWARDS AND HONORS

  • Bronner's received the first-ever international Golden Santa Claus award in 1986 and the National Ornaments and Electric Lights ChristmasAssociation (NOEL) Retailer of the Year Award in 1981 and 2001.
  • The Automobile Club of Michigan (AAA) listed Bronner's among the top 10 man-made attractions in the state. AAA-Chicago Motor Club listed Bronner's as a "Travel Treasure." The governor of Michigan designated Bronner's as an "Embassy for Michigan Tourism" in 1976.
  • In addition, Bronner's has received over 100 national, state, and regional awards. The Bronner family feels that every award focuses on the Bronner team members who helped make the recognition possible.

OTHER INTERESTING FACTS

  • In peak season, Bronner's employs over 700 staff members.
  • Movie star John Wayne ordered a Santa suit from Bronner's by telephone on December 15, 1976.
  • Beamer the Bronner Star was born in 1999.
  • Bronner's has more than 60 billboards - the most distant is on I-75 near Ocala, Florida, north of Disney World.
  • Annually, Bronner's distributes over 1 million Christian tracts - one is inserted in each package and piece of mail leaving Bronner's.
  • Nearly 3 million Bronner's Christmas Favorites catalogs are distributed annually. Bronner's ships over 200,000 packages each year around the globe. The call center, catalog and website fulfillment are all in-house handled.
  • As many as 25,000 children visit Santa seasonally from the day after Thanksgiving through December 24.