Our Story

Our story actually began in the 1950's, when our founder, Jeff Wandell was just 12 years old. A tenacious one even then, Jeff would hop the bus (his fare was only 5 cents!) to a downtown department store to buy all the family’s Christmas trimmings at 50% off. Let’s call it his first “buying trip.” And his love for Christmas beauty and eye for a bargain have been growing ever since.

Jeff went on to found a regional retail chain in 1964 with stores that still dot key Midwestern states and it was in those stores that the phrase “Totally Christmas” came to life. Since 1983 Jeff’s retail stores have used “Totally Christmas” to describe the “total” Christmas experience. In short, it means “magic.”

As Jeff’s desire to help people decorate their homes for Christmas has grown, so has technology. So, with the same time-tested love of beauty and eye for a bargain, our online store was carefully envisioned and then launched. At totallychristmas.com, we offer the same holiday decorating advice we would in our stores — because we love Christmas and we love what we do.