Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Strategies & Market Trends : Aardvark Adventures -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: ~digs who wrote (830)	12/19/2004 11:48:49 PM
From: paret	Respond to of 7944

Target incurs wrath for Salvation Army ban The Atlanta Journal-Constitution December 18, 2004 by Mike Tierney ajc.com]UbTTUWUXUUUZTYU_UWUbUcUZU\UZUcTYWVVZV EXCERPT: The parking lots in front of Target stores are quieter this Christmas season. Absent is the pealing of Salvation Army bells and the pitter-patter of some former customers who may have crossed the retailer off their shopping lists for banning the bell-ringers. Target announced in January that it would extend a long-standing policy prohibiting solicitors from standing outside its stores to the Salvation Army's volunteers and their signature red kettles. But the decision got widespread attention only recently, as the Christian charity publicized the ban and criticism against the retailer mounted. On Thursday, Target rival Wal-Mart added a jab. The world's No. 1 retailer touted its willingness to welcome the kettles by agreeing to match all customer contributions to the Salvation Army through Christmas Eve, up to $1 million. A fine kettle of fish Target now finds itself in. The company name has been turned against it as mostly Christian-rooted groups such as the American Family Association have targeted the chain for criticism and encouraged followers to buy their gifts elsewhere. Target, which wouldn't comment for this story, has said it opted for blanket enforcement of its non-solicitation policy at its 1,300 stores when other organizations sought the same privileges as the Salvation Army. The retailer emphasizes its charitable record. Target donates about 5 percent of its pretax profits --- more than $100 million a year --- to charities, including the Salvation Army. There are signs that Target is feeling repercussions for banning the kettles. America's Research Group, a shopping-behavior tracker and marketing firm in Charleston, S.C., phoned 800 households nationwide and determined that Target was the only major retailer with fewer customers last weekend compared with the same holiday-shopping weekend in 2003. The survey indicated 55 percent of U.S. consumers visited stores over the weekend, with 12 percent patronizing Target. A year ago, 43 percent went shopping, and 30 percent of those shoppers included Target in their rounds. "That's a significant decline," said ARG Chairman Britt Beemer, who noted 16 interviewees offered without prompting that they avoided Target. "There is getting to be a significant amount of backlash."