By Donald Wittkowski
Shoppers entering Mia’s Christmas Gallery in Ocean City over the weekend were pleasantly surprised by the worker who greeted them at the door.
“Santa!” some of them shouted when they spotted the smiling, rotund man wearing the fluffy white beard and velvety red suit.
Santa, it seems, was earning some extra money on the side – as many seasonal employees do during the holidays – before heading back to the North Pole to prepare for his Christmas duties delivering gifts around the world.
Before he leaves, Santa would be wise to pick up some things at Mia’s Christmas Gallery, a landmark store on the Ocean City Boardwalk between 10th and 11th streets. This holiday haven of twinkling lights, glittering ornaments and every other conceivable Christmas decoration and keepsake would save him from the trouble of having his elves make his gifts for him.
“If they can’t find it here, then they can’t find it anywhere for Christmas,” Mia’s owner, Jane Saile, said of the store’s extensive holiday inventory.
Jane and her husband, Jim Saile, bought the store in 2012 from the Caucci family. Charlie and Rose Caucci, who opened the shop in 2000, had named the business after their daughter, Mia.
The Sailes never hesitated in keeping the Christmas theme, even though such a valuable piece of real estate in the heart of the Boardwalk gave them plenty of options. Jane Saile said they did discuss the possibility of changing the name, but soon realized the powerful brand recognition of Mia’s.
“When you talk about stores on the Boardwalk, everybody knows what Mia’s is,” she said.
Saile explained that her husband had always joked that he wanted to own a Christmas store. When he found out Mia’s was for sale, he made the purchase. Much to her surprise, Jane Saile learned of the deal from a neighbor, before her husband told her.
“My neighbor said, ‘I heard you’re going to buy the Christmas store at the shore,’’’ she recalled. “Well, when my husband came home, I said, ‘Do you have something to tell me?’’’
Saile quipped that the store purchase was her husband’s “midlife crisis.”
“I wasn’t against it. It was a turnkey operation,” she said. “We decided to give it a whirl.”
Jim Saile is also a tax attorney. The Sailes live in Huntingdon Valley, Pa., and also have a summer home in Ocean City.
Jane Saile noted that the couple learned the intricacies of the business as they went along. “We were very fortunate that the staff stayed on,” she said of the transition in Mia’s ownership.
Christmas, naturally, is a strong time of year for sales, but Saile said Mia’s busiest season is the summer, because of the influx of Ocean City tourists.
“It seems to work out well. They want that special ornament where they have been on vacation,” she said.
Each year, the Sailes stock up on inventory during a buying trip in January at a trade show in Atlanta. Although the vast majority of the merchandise is Christmas-oriented, Mia’s also sells such things as wedding gifts, baby dolls, Lenox ware, dishes, serving pieces and kitchen towels.
In addition to its walk-in business, the store also ships merchandise across the country. Mia’s is in the process of rebuilding its website and expects to begin online sales, for the first time, probably by next spring, Jane Saile said. The Sailes’ daughter, Janie, is also helping to expand the store’s presence on social media.
A visit to the store reveals the proverbial winter wonderland. Room after room is overflowing with Christmas trees, ornaments, lights, snowmen, reindeer, candles, dishware, cards and many other gifts for the holiday.
And, of course, there’s Santa Claus. The shop brims with every type of Santa figurine imaginable. Santa carrying packages, Santa holding a wreath, Santa riding a bike, even Santa drinking a coke.
But there’s also the real deal. Sitting at the front entrance of Mia’s over the weekend was Santa himself. He was there to greet customers, pose for pictures and hear the Christmas wishes of good little girls and boys.
“They’re in shock when they see me,” Santa said. “They usually see a Santa mannequin at stores.”
Santa exchanged pleasantries with all of Mia’s shoppers. Ashley and Bret Thiel, of Willow Grove, Pa., had their 11-month-old daughter, Colette, sit on his lap for some pictures.
Santa said his presence adds to the Christmas experience at Mia’s.
“Wow, what a store. It’s beautiful. We have to come back,” he said of the customers’ typical reaction.
Among the shoppers wandering through the store over the weekend were Grace Giammaruti, of Philadelphia, her daughter, Cathy Maxwell and Maxwell’s daughter, Rachel Mullin, both of Baltimore.
Giammaruti and Maxwell, who were in town for a weekend trip, said they visit Mia’s every year to do some holiday shopping and consider it a family tradition.
“We usually come here with family, at least two of us or more,” Maxwell said. “I don’t think I’ve ever been in here when I was alone.”
As they were browsing for Christmas gifts, Maxwell said she and her family should have no difficulty buying something for everyone.
“If you can’t find it here for Christmas, there’s a problem,” she said, laughing.
