Posted on 12/04/2004 12:35:09 PM PST by Hank74
Target stores should be ashamed. Media reports indicate that Target is now banning the Salvation Army nationwide. I read that 25% of the Salvation Army's holiday collections have come from Target stores. What a sad lack of community spirit this exhibits. On their website they state that their policy of not allowing any solicitation is to protect their customers. Well, I don't need to be protected from bell ringers. They further state that they give two million dollars a week to charities. That doesn't make me want to shop there. For two years my request to take Operation Stuff the Bus to the local Target store parking lot has been denied by the local store manager. Target stores are the Grinch that stole Christmas. I believe it is time for us to hold Target stores accountable for their lack of community support. Lamar Hunt Candler, Florida
They are afraid that one quarter you drop in the Kettle is one less quarter they will get.
BUT, if you look carefully, you will notice that all of their charities EXCLUDE religious organizations. That sends a message to Christians all over the U.S. I for one will no longer spend my money at Target. I spend a lot of money each year at that store because it is a hop, skip, and jump from where I live, I cannot patronize a company that doesn't believe charitable organizations should be allowed to solicite funds on their property. It is their right to do this since it is a private company, but I also have the right to boycott them for their actions against humanitarian organizations like the Salvation Army. The Salvation Army uses 85% of the donations they receive to go directly in helping the needy, and only 15% towards administrative costs. There is no other large charitable organization that has this kind of record.
The unacceptable face of capitalism.
Boycott them! The Salvation Army deserve better.
I have never been to Target and now I never will. I was at Walmart last night and made a point to put some money in the kettle. I don't have much, but will put in something everytime I see it, even if it's a little change. Let's show Target how insignificant they are.
If anything is to be boycotted, it should be "made in China" crap, regardless of whether it is being offered at Target, Walmart, Sears, or anywhere else. This would be much more valuable lesson to teach. Why subsidize strategical rivals?
More importantly, however, is solicitation by union thugs trying to organize store employees. Some labor judge, probably an anti-capitalist, left wing progressive democrat, has ruled that if ANY ONE is allowed to solicit, outside then "no soliciting" rules can't be applied just to union thugs. So, we throw out the baby with the bath water.
I agree - I've paid my last visit to Target - and ever since this broke, I've put $5 in every kettle I see....Thank goodness, it was only two today! One of the "ringers" told me that numerous companies have invited the Salvation Army to put kettles out front this year. According to the national spokesman today on Fox, 10% of the contributions last year came from Target locations and that .87 cents out of every $1 goes to helping people.
From the little research I have done I found that Walmart's November Sales were $23.54 billion and Target's November Sales were $4.2 billion.
Last Christmas Season Walmart Salvation Army Bell Ringers collected 14 million while during the same period Target Bell Ringers Collected 9 million.
Therefore, while Walmart's Sales were 5.6 times that of Target their customers donations were only 1.55 times higher than Walmart's.
Looks to me that Target Customers are much more generous than Walmart's.
http://money.cnn.com/services/tickerheadlines/for5/200412021058DOWJONESDJONLINE000973_FORTUNE5.htm
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_salvation_army.htm
I recently went to my local UPS store to buy Christmas stamps. The guy said they only had those nondescript colored ones. I asked why they weren't selling the Mary and baby Jesus ones and he said that UPS did not want to offend any of it's other customers. I told him UPS was forcing me to buy my Christmas stamps at the post office. He said that he agreed with me and that 'they are coming out with a Muslim stamp soon, which we will probably carry'. So, UPS does not mind offending me, but will go out of their way not to offend a Muslim. When I went to the post office to buy my Mary and baby Jesus stamps I asked the lady at the counter how many people buy the Mary and baby Jesus stamps and she said it was about 50 percent. The US post office got my 40 bucks.
Proving my point. Target wants that money in their stores.
Looks to me that Target Customers are much more generous than Walmart's.
May be that Target customers HAVE more money to give.
"I have never been to Target and now I never will. I was at Walmart last night and made a point to put some money in the kettle. I don't have much, but will put in something everytime I see it, even if it's a little change. Let's show Target how insignificant they are."
Yesterday, my wife, who usually doesn't get caught up in these boycotts went out of her way to drop money off in the SA Kettles in front of Walmart and two other stores. She thanked them and apologized for Target, which we will not be shopping at.
Walmart the place is crowded, dirty, and check out lines are long.
The first store I ever went into had old wooden floors with sawdust on them.Was dark and had lots of people milling about.The owner cut the meat special to order and wrapped it in white freezer paper,(If you have never eaten Hotdogs from that era,you've never eaten REAL Hotdogs.)That store had more than any store,these days could ever hope to match.If I live to be 100 I will never forget that store.Can you say that about any particular store you have been in?
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