In Elf, Buddy works as a Christmas helper at Gimbels.
Gimbels is the department store where Buddy gets a seasonal job after arriving in New York City. His enthusiasm for Christmas, unusual behavior, and knowledge of the North Pole quickly make him a memorable employee, even though he has no ordinary retail experience.
The store is fictionalized within the film’s story, but Gimbels was also the name of a real American department-store chain. The original company operated major stores in cities including New York and Philadelphia before its retail business disappeared in the 1980s. This gives the movie’s setting a period-shopping reference that audiences may recognize.
Will Ferrell plays Buddy, and Zooey Deschanel plays Jovie, a Gimbels employee who becomes his love interest. Jon Favreau directed the 2003 film, which also features James Caan as Buddy’s biological father.