Posted on 11/29/2007 6:24:31 PM PST by E-Mat
I get all these AFA alerts about stores that ban Christmas. How about a list or a link to a list of shopping alternatives who do not ban Christmas?
Here's a few examples of web sites who were not so ashamed to allow the word Christmas to appear on their front page. (Searching the page for text does not always work, e.g. Starbucks mentions Christmas on their front page, but it's in an image.):
http://www.gifts.com/ http://www.walmart.com/ http://www.target.com/ (Surpise!) http://www.ftd.com/ http://www.lenox.com/ http://www.winebasket.com http://www.starbucks.com/
Macy’s is another that doesn’t, and Kohl’s is even more generic than Macy’s!
I don’t know, that sign at the bottom is advertising a “Holiday Lunch Set”... ;-)
Starbux goes so far as to have a CHRISTMAS blend .. whodathnk it?
On a side note, out here in Washington State we have a store called “GI Joe’s”. Sports and auto stuff, been around for a very long time. About a year ago, they dropped the “GI” part, now it’s just “Joe’s”.
Two things here....
One, to do that during a war, is just plain stupid, smacks of anti war liberalism. I have no idea if that is why they did it, but you have to wonder?
The second thing is, what an enormous expense, for no value. For a farily large company to change all their signs, paperwork, business cards, stationary, and on and on, for that? Good grief, that can cost millions of dollars, if not tens of millions for a really big company.
I work for a company that just did a name change, that was really stupid. We are a huge company, and now in some financial trouble. The name change must have cost tens of millions. What a waste. Oh, they are really big on “green” too, and you’d hardly call a silly name change a green thing?
I don't know that I can exactly confirm that, but here's a phenomenon I've seen literally half a dozen times in the area where I live (Vancouver, B.C.) ... a Starbucks opens up in a shopping or business-commercial area and is successful. Soon another coffee shop opens up very close by, and within a short time both places are usually packed.
I just emailed their company, Joe’s, that I think they are stupid and dumb, will never shop there again. Now I feel better.
The store I went to typically, is right by Fort Lewis. Many of GI Joe’s customers are now DEAD, from service to their country in Afghanistan and Iraq. Maybe I’ll picket the store one day too, talk to some GIs going in there.
bookmark
Yup, ever notice that one bank, is surrounded by every other bank, usually within a few blocks. The branches seem to just pop up, all around each other.
This is also like bathrooms. There are either tons of them, or you do that buckled hopping thingy. Same goes for pencils and pens, or my coffee cup, or change for that matter. There is a scientific reason for all this, just waiting for a chalkboard...
Is it possible that GI Joe’s was sued by somebody holding a copyright, such as for the GI Joe doll? BTW, it just occurred to me that I actually bought something once at GI Joe’s in Bend, OR.
Kohl’s has such garbage. I went to buy boots, they were all made in China from cardboard I swear it.
>> Sears has a holiday sale on their site
Sears will not risk offending the grinches of the world and therefore will NOT say “Merry Christmas”. This is a popular attitude among the corporate types and those that want to be part of the culturally correct.
I’m beginning to wonder if this battle should be fought using the naughty and nice list. If companies in general are refusing to support Christmas, maybe Christians in general should stop spending their money in retail to the extent they do during Christmas season. Wouldn’t it be great if more attention was given to our faith than to the merchants - perhaps just for one year.
Should we force companies to recognize Christmas for the net benefit of consumerism? The Christmas celebration grows more mechanical each year with rip-cord yard ornaments, superficial recognition in retail, assault on Nativity scenes, and elimination of “Christmas” from activities that were once Christmas events. Perhaps we should go back to the basics as Christians removing the invisible shackles of retail and focus our energy on our Faith in Christ.
No, not yet anyway. We were open for such a short time before they opened that we didn’t get a solid customer base before they started to pick up market share. Then over the summer gas prices spikes and business dried up.
However, I have heard rumors that they aren’t doing well at that location. I’ve never read about a Starbucks closing but I suppose it could happen.
It’s been rough but we’re still here!
Good deal. Best of luck to you, sir.
Now that I think about it, I believe I read about Starbucks driving up independent coffee house sales in one of my MBA textbooks. If I can find it, I’ll post it to you.
Fletcher J
You mean words right below the “Merry Christmas”?? ;-)
Thanks for the encouragement. I’ve heard similar stories about people opening burger shops near new McDonald’s. They let McDs do all the market/demographic research and then locate nearby.
I also have a family, a full time job as well as going to school for a bachelors in business management. Good thing I can by coffee in bulk!
Starbucks, is well known for unethical business practices. Among other things, they were sued for anti-trust violations.
http://juggernautco.typepad.com/business_ethics_news/2006/09/starbucks_sued_.html
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