Don’t let the strains of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” over the store’s audio system fool you. Barnes & Noble is “against” Christmas.
So says the conservative Christian group, American Family Association, in its message to supporters in its annual “Naughty and Nice” Christmas list, which rates retailers’ marketing campaigns on whether they properly recognize the holiday that celebrates Jesus’ birth.
The big box bookstore chain is on the naughty list compiled by the Tupelo, Miss.-based group, along with 14 retailers from Banana Republic to Victoria’s Secret to Old Navy.
AFA reviews the websites, media advertising and in-store signage of national retailers to determine the list.
The litmus test is whether retailers use “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays” in their ads. The latter is considered offensive because it takes away the focus on Jesus, according to the organization, which urges supporters to send a message to retailers by shopping elsewhere.
“If a company has items associated with Christmas but did not use the word ‘Christmas,’ then the company is considered as censoring ‘Christmas,’” according to the organization’s website.
“Most national retailers are now using ‘Christmas,’ but there are some that are still clinging to a losing strategy of political correctness,” the group said in an October press release.
Most retailers now make AFA’s nice list, from Amazon.com to Walmart to Ace Hardware and Target.
AFA contends that its campaign against the “War on Christmas” has paid off because its nice list has grown, but the group’s efforts may be lost on some shoppers. (RNS)
Share with others: