Wal-Mart: We're not afraid to say Merry Christmas

cnn.com ^ | 11/9/06

[peggybac]

No. 1 retailer has decided to abandon its generic 'Happy Holidays' greeting in favor of 'Merry Christmas.' NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Wal-Mart has told its employees that it's OK to once again greet shoppers by saying "Merry Christmas" this holiday season instead of the generic "Happy Holidays." CNN confirmed that Wal-Mart will announce Thursday that it plans to use the phrase "Merry Christmas" in products and around its stores this holiday season. The announcement comes a year after religious groups such as The American Family Association and The Catholic League boycotted retailers including Wal-Mart last holiday season for excluding the word "Christmas" from products sold in stores. "We, quite frankly, have learned a lesson from last year," Wal-Mart spokeswoman Linda Blakley told USA Today in a separate report. "We're not afraid to use the term 'Merry Christmas.' We'll use it early, and we'll use it often." Besides resurrecting its Christmas pitch, the retailer is also determined to be the leader in this year's holiday price wars. The November-December holiday shopping period is a critical time for merchants since it can account for as much as 50 percent of their profits and sales. To that end, Wal-Mart was the first out of the gate to chop prices on toys and electronics much ahead of its competitors like Target (Charts), Toys 'R Us, Costco (Charts) and others. To support its Christmas deals, the report said Wal-Mart will launch TV ads next week that trumpet "Christmas." It's changing the name of its seasonal decorations department to "The Christmas Shop" from "The Holiday Shop." Moreover, Wal-Mart stores will play Christmas carols throughout the holiday period and about 60 percent more merchandise will be labeled as "Christmas" rather than "holiday" items, the paper said.

[Pylon]

A few years ago, to make some extra money for Christmas, I took a part time job workings nights at Home Depot in their Christmas Tree lot. It was a back breaking job, but also very fun to see families picking out their Christmas Trees. Really put me into the Christmas spirit. We were told though by management to tell these customers, buying Christmas Trees, "Happy Holiday's". They didn't want us to offend any non-Christians buying Christmas Trees. Brilliant!

[Blue Jays]

Hi All-

The Wagner Companies, Inc.

~ Blue Jays ~

[Tribune7]

Exactly.

I wouldn't boycott per se a store -- if that was the only place to get a gift, I get it -- that insisted on "happy holidays" but it is definitely not as much fun to shop in one at Christmas time.

And a lot of stores that went the Happy Holidays route with the Winter Wonderland soundtrack did not get anywhere near as much of my money as they could have.

[Tribune7]

I'm just saying that it seems strange for someone to take offense at a genuinely proffered wish of happiness from another.

I always found it strange that some would take offense at another wishing them a sincere Merry Christmas.

The problem isn't that one can wish a "Happy Holidays" . The problem is that one can't wish a "Merry Christmas" (or put decorations ups saying such) as per corporate directive.

[blu]

Hey, I didn't say you were anti-anything. And I also said I was just being a smart azz....and you know you're supposed to ignore the smart azzes!

I think we're all (us Christian-like folks) just a little sensitive because it seems like we're the last group it's still PC to give a hard time. Perhaps we're too defensive, could be.

I'm a white woman, of a certain age. When people see me with my little darlings, they assume 2 things: 1. I'm a "Mrs." (I am) and 2. I'm the mommy (I'm not, I'm the grand(!)(fabulous wonderful)). I do not take offense at their assumptions, sometimes, if the situation and time warrants, I explain. Mostly not, as their assumptions don't offend me. (really, there's a point here)

When I see someone whose outward appearance makes me think they might not be Christian, I say Happy Holidays. But, where I live, we're mostly a Christian looking people (please, no one bother to advise me on the insensitivity, the utter gall of my assumptions based on appearance...it might be profiling!), so to most of the people I see, I say Merry Christmas, cos it's that time of year.

Change comes slowly, and it's usually the younger generation who propel it. Someday, I may accept Happy Holidays as a greeting, but right now, when that greeting comes from a corporate level, I resent it. It says it's ok to offend the Christians (cos we've told them so), just make sure you get their money.It seems as tho all the cultural diversity/sensitivity training is teaching: Don't offend anyone, unless they're Christians. The Christians have it coming. Payback. Now, to you I say "Happy Holidays", or, as Fez would say "Good day!" :)

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Now, I wonder how much of their Christmas items will actually be Christian and not related to Santa and the colors red and green?

[Stone Mountain]

always found it strange that some would take offense at another wishing them a sincere Merry Christmas.

I agree with this just as much.

[paratrooper82]

"genuinely proffered wish of happiness from another."

I don't see any genuineness or innocents about groups that demand Stores stop using Merry Christmas, and replace it with Happy Holiday. It is their intent to remove Christ from our culture, and this is just one of those ways of doing just that. I guess this is where we disagree. I just saw on Fox News that Wal-Mart said that it has "learned it's lesson." They will no longer respond to requests from small groups of PC minded people.

Anyhow, I have to change my bandages and get some rest. I want to get back to the front where I am needed.

[Stone Mountain]

Someday, I may accept Happy Holidays as a greeting, but right now, when that greeting comes from a corporate level, I resent it. It says it's ok to offend the Christians (cos we've told them so), just make sure you get their money.

I just don't see that attempting to use a non-religious greeting makes it offensive to Christians or ok to offend them. It's a way to be inclusive of all of your customers - even if that comes from the corporate level, I don't see a problem with that.

But, where I live, we're mostly a Christian looking people (please, no one bother to advise me on the insensitivity, the utter gall of my assumptions based on appearance...it might be profiling!), so to most of the people I see, I say Merry Christmas, cos it's that time of year.

Me too - it's my standard greeting for the holiday season. I've never said, nor do I have a problem with saying Merry Christmas. Just that I don't have a problem with Happy Holidays.

Now, to you I say "Happy Holidays", or, as Fez would say "Good day!" :)

But... uh... yeah , I know, you said, GOOD DAY! : ) And have a Merry Christmas!

[Stone Mountain]

Again, I have nothing but contempt for any group that would attempt to force speech on others. But you're right, I disagree that their attempt to be inclusive of all customers is an indication that they want to remove Christmas from our culture. That seems somewhat paranoid to me - that in a nation that you say is 85% Christian that it would even be remotely conceivable to remove Christmas from the culture is impossible for me to comprehend. I would guess that the bigger threat to traditional Christmas values would be the rampant commercialization of it, not the saying of generic greetings.

[paratrooper82]

You don't understand the secular threat from the left in this Country, and their stated goals.

[Stone Mountain]

Serious question - now that you know that Wal-Mart allows their employees to say Merry Christmas, how would you react if you went to Wal-Mart and were greeted with a "Happy Holidays?" Would you still feel that it was offensive at all? Would you feel obligated to say anything to that employee other than returning a greeting?

[blu]

But... uh... yeah , I know, you said, GOOD DAY! : ) And have a Merry Christmas!

But you're smilin', right?

Now, about St. Nicholas Day... :)

[blu]

Would you feel obligated to say anything to that employee other than returning a greeting?

I would say "Merry Christmas!" and leave it at that. Maybe the official walmart greeter is Jewish, or Muslim or whatever non-Christian. Whatever, just as long as I know he had the *choice* of greetings, I"d be happy with that.

[paratrooper82]

It would be the employees choice to state whatever greeting he or she wanted. Since it is not the stated POLICY of Wal-Mart. Before, Happy Holiday was a stated POLICY of Wal-Mart. The was the intent of Wal-Mart to exclude Merry Christmas, now it is not. In fact, they simply just went back to the same POLICY Wal-Mart has always had, without any problems before, I might add.

The employee did not have a choice of greetings under the old Wal-Mart POLICY, did you believe that to be fair?

[Poser]

Claim: "They also send 5% of their on-line sales to gay/lesbian causes. "

Actual case: Wal-Mart (along with dozens of other retailers) donates 5% of sales initiated through the web site of the Washington DC Community Center for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender People web site.

So... It's only web site sales that come in through a DC site. They are paying a commission for services rendered. It's safe to by from WalMart.com. Your money isn't going to any GLBT organizations.

[Stone Mountain]

You don't understand the secular threat from the left in this Country, and their stated goals.

Perhaps not. Who stated these goals? Somebody actually said that they are trying to remove Christmas from the culture?

[Stone Mountain]

The employee did not have a choice of greetings under the old Wal-Mart POLICY, did you believe that to be fair?

Nope, not at all. I've said this many times already on this thread. Do you just not believe me?

So, I'm assuming you are saying that if an employee told you Happy Holidays on his own, you wouldn't have a problem with it, right? Now, what if Wal-Mart's policy was, "You can use whatever greeting you believe is appropriate, but we would prefer you use Happy Holidays since it is inclusive of all of our customers." No problems there either?

[Stone Mountain]

Fair enough. Same question to you - what if the employee retained the choice, but Wal-Mart encouraged their employees to say Happy Holidays in the interests of a diverse customer base. No problem there either?

[Stone Mountain]

But you're smilin', right?

Hey - when I read that Fez line, I was LOLing!

Now, about St. Nicholas Day... :)

Despite my combative stance on FR, I'm actually a lover, not a fighter. I'm more of a St. Valentine's Day guy! : )