Facing rising rents at the former location of her year-round Christmas decor shop, Gale Griswold made a difficult decision as 2025 began: shut down temporarily and reopen in time for the holiday season. It was a gamble, and with Christmas approaching, she hopes it pays off.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Christmas & Gifts by Gale recently opened with a new name and a new location at Edison Mall in Fort Myers, just inside the main entrance at 4125 Cleveland Ave., Unit 1400, across from Books-A-Million. The move positions the store for the peak of Christmas shopping.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Owner Gale Griswold stands inside her newly opened Christmas & Gifts by Gale shop at Edison Mall. Griswold hand-paints ornaments and designs most of the store\u2019s holiday decor.<\/p>\n
David Dorsey<\/p>\n
Previously known as Gale\u2019s Gifts and operating at Bell Tower Shops from October 2023 through the end of 2024, Griswold wanted the new name to emphasize \u201cChristmas\u201d for better online search visibility.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Griswold jokes that she\u2019s not related to the fictional Griswold family from the holiday classic National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Each year she spends January through September hand-painting ornaments and designing wreaths and trees \u2014 her top three sellers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But this year, that stretch also included searching for a new location. She chose Edison Mall, where she has significantly less space \u2014 1,370 square feet compared with 6,500 square feet \u2014 but also far lower rent. She pays $2,500 per month there, compared with the $4,500 she paid at Bell Tower last December under a percentage-based rent agreement that charged her 20% of sales. The more she sold, the higher the rent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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The main entrance to Edison Mall in Fort Myers, where Christmas & Gifts by Gale recently relocated. The shop sits across from Books-A-Million near Entrance B.<\/p>\n
David Dorsey<\/p>\n
\u201cI took all summer long trying to find another place,\u201d said Griswold, who has lived in Fort Myers since 1976. \u201cI\u2019m planning on making it a year-round place.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The space previously housed The Hideout, a bakery. Griswold said she used about 16 gallons of paint to refresh the store.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI had 45 days to clean,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was a tight window.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Prices vary: ornaments range from $15 to $25; decorated trees from $35 to $375; and decorated wreaths from $75 to $275. Griswold does almost all the decorating and painting herself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She also offers custom work. Recently, she designed red ribbons to decorate a client\u2019s kitchen for the holidays.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOrnaments are always my No. 1 seller,\u201d Griswold said. \u201cFor the last week, sales are really starting to pick up.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
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