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.

Politics : WAR on Terror. Will it engulf the Entire Middle East? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: DeplorableIrredeemableRedneck who wrote (17726)	11/10/2006 2:50:23 PM
From: DeplorableIrredeemableRedneck	Respond to of 32591

If you observe Christmas...Shop Wall Mart: Wal-Mart in U.S. lifts ban on 'Christmas' Reacts to Christian anger over watered down 'holiday' Article Tools Hollie Shaw, National Post Published: Friday, November 10, 2006 Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has decided to bring "Christmas" back this holiday season. After facing a barrage of criticism from religious groups for neglecting to mention the Christian celebration in its U.S. stores or advertisements last year, the world's biggest retailer announced yesterday it will rename its seasonal area "The Christmas Shop," instead of "The Holiday Shop," play Christmas carols in its stores and increase its overtly Christmas-themed displays by 60% this year. In addition to wishing customers "Merry Christmas," the retailer is encouraging employees to greet customers with a variety of seasonal greetings including Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Hanukkah and Feliz Navidad. There will also be a "Days until Christmas" countdown banner in stores and television advertising that refers pointedly to the Dec. 25 holiday. "We, quite frankly, have learned a lesson from last year," Wal-Mart spokeswoman Linda Blakley told USA Today. A number of religious groups threatened to boycott Wal-Mart and other retailers last year after deciding that the companies' marketing had strayed too far from the holiday's Christian roots. There was no such protest at Wal-Mart's Canadian unit, as it didn't follow the lead of the U.S. chain and switch from "Christmas" to "Holiday." Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly criticized U.S. retailers for promoting a more neutral "holiday" season and the U.S. House of Representatives even got into the act, voting 401 to 22 in mid-December last year to disapprove of any attempt to ban references to the word "Christmas." "I think there's been a bit of a backlash and a number of retailers and institutions feel that they don't want to lose Christmas," said Wendy Evans, president of Toronto-based retailing consultancy Evans & Co. "We want to celebrate a broader number of religious holidays rather than losing them all. I don't know whether [Wal-Mart's move] is going to increase sales, but I expect it would be in greater alignment with customers' thinking. It's a good idea." In addition to Wal-Mart, Macy's, a unit of Federated Department Stores Inc. and the largest department store chain in the United States, will display "Merry Christmas" banners throughout its stores this year. There will be less of a pendulum swing in Canada, experts say, because the mention of "Christmas" has been more varied among retailers and the issue never became the political hot potato here that it did in the United States. At Wal-Mart Canada Corp., for example, "Christmas, in both word and theme, has always been a central part of our Canadian advertising this time of year, and this year is no exception," said Andrew Pelletier, vice-president of corporate affairs. "We are always keen to celebrate Christmas with our customers. We also recognize that as Canadians we live in the most wonderfully diverse country in the world." Canadian Tire has signage that reads "Christmas starts at Canadian Tire" and the retailer also produces a "Christmas book of inspiration" catalogue for customers, said spokeswoman Caroline Casselman. At Hudson's Bay Co., the retailer's "Christmas Street" display has gone up in its Bay department stores. hshaw@nationalpost.com 'CHRISTMAS' OR 'HOLIDAY'? Have your say in our forum -- check under Editor's Picks; nationalpost.com