Family run shop puts the festive colour in Melbourne Christmas for 23 years

The sisters behind a popular Queen Vic Market Christmas decoration stall say customers are going all out for their stay-at-home festivities.

Sisters Connie and Mel in their Christmas shop Ambiance which has been open at the Queen Vic Market for 23 years.

In Melbourne it looks like Christmas in December, but for sisters Connie and Mel Martino, the festivities carry on all year long.

Christmas shop Ambiance has reopened after lockdown and the two Essendon sisters couldn’t be happier.

The store first opened in August 1997 in the lead up to Christmas and was so popular they sold out of stock within a week.

The original space at the Queen Vic Market was just one room and a wooden box for a cash register, but quickly grew into extra rooms overflowing with new decorations.

Now the store has rooms dedicated to a single hue to help festive shoppers in search of a certain colour theme – there’s even a room dedicated entirely to nutcrackers.

“We started the shop because we couldn’t find any beautiful ornaments in Melbourne, it was really difficult to find any,” Ambiance co-owner Connie Martino said.

“Now we have people who came in as babies and they bring their own children in, it’s wonderful.

“We are sisters and we love our job, we laugh and have a lot of fun together.”

Connie said in the 23 years they had been open, they had never seen such excited shoppers.

“This year people are ten times more excited than normal, we have people come in buying baskets of ornaments for their stay-at-home Christmas,” she said.

“We’ve had a terrible year with the coronavirus … now it’s going to be about family and being home for Christmas.”

For those wanting to branch out from basic baubles, the sisters recommend looking at Katherine’s Collection, a carefully designed, handpainted range of ornaments.

The shop’s annual Christmas tree competition is still open with entrants asked to send in a video or photo with a brief message describing their favourite decoration.

The Queen Victoria Market is handing out $100,000 worth of freebies to bring shoppers back to the historic site this Christmas.

A total of 500 vouchers worth up to $200 will be given out from today until December 20 as part of the ‘Your Christmas Shop on Us’ competition in partnership with Melbourne City Council.

The businesses making up the market include 600 small vendors, many family run, who have been with hard economic losses during Melbourne’s coronavirus lockdown.

With Christmas hanging in the balance during Melbourne’s stage four lockdown a virtual walk through of the store was made.

The stunning tour of the gift shop is still online for those unable to travel to the market and showcases the unique rooms with everything Christmas.

Ambiance is open seven days a week – head to 509-511 Elizabeth St Melbourne.