| Subject: Protests ring out |
Author:
Betty
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Date Posted: 11:01:24 11/27/04 Sat
In reply to:
Betty
's message, "Salvation Army santas banned fromTarget & Best Buy!" on 12:17:55 11/24/04 Wed
Some consumers and advocacy groups are upset that retailers including Target
have banned the Salvation Army's Christmas tradition of bell-ringing
volunteers who solicit donations for the poor.
The bans have touched off controversy among retailers. Some top sellers seem
to be catering to the charity to win over consumers ticked off at other
stores for kicking the bell-ringers off their property.
"The Salvation Army has a remarkable history of providing year-round service
to families, and Big Lots is proud to continue our tradition of helping with
their fundraising goals," this Columbus, Ohio, retailer said in a statement
after Target's announcement it would ban the charity.
They were followed by auto parts chain AutoZone and the nation's No. 3
bookseller chain, Books-A-Million Inc., the Boston Globe reported. BJ's
Wholesale Club Inc. has also stepped in to help by allowing the kettles at
its stores.
The nation's No. 1 retailer, Wal-Mart, has also welcomed the bell-ringers,
but with restrictions: They must stand outside stores and are limited to 14
days, the Globe said.
The bans by Target, Best Buy, Home Depot and others come amid the Salvation
Army's 113th year of doing what it can to fend for the poor and unfortunate.
Shoppers "are coming here for a reason, and the reason is not for
solicitation of any kind by a third party," said Steve Mullen, a spokesman
for Circuit City.
However, that chain of consumer electronics and appliance stores apparently
did an about-face. The Salvation Army said in a statement that "its prayers
have been answered by Circuit City, Michaels and Books-A-Million. Wal-Mart
and Kmart will still allow the Salvation Army outside their stores this
year."
Target's decision "was a huge shock and a huge source of discouragement for
us," Lt. David Grindle, a spokesman for the charity, told Fox News Channel.
The retailer pointed to its corporate policy forbidding solicitation.
"Like many nationwide retailers, Target Corporation has implemented this
policy in order to be consistent with all the groups that request access to
our stores and to provide our guests with a comfortable, distraction-free
shopping environment," the company says in a statement posted on its Web
site.
"Target does not permit individuals (including political candidates and/or
their campaign organizations) or non-profit organizations to solicit
donations, distribute literature, sell merchandise, or hold events on our
premises.
"Our company has many other means by which it can support organizations
whose charitable programs fall within our corporate giving guidelines."
Target says it gives $2 million annually to "neighborhoods, programs and
schools across the country."
The policy will no doubt be a blow to the charity, which last year collected
10 percent of its $93 million in holiday collections from Target shoppers,
Fox News said.
'A Lump of Coal'
It's unclear whether the kettle-kicking retailers dislike the Salvation Army
or are merely acting out of concern for customers. What is clear is that not
all customers like their decisions.
"It's a disgrace," South Boston resident Phyllis McElaney told the Globe.
"The bell ringers remind you of the meaning of Christmas, that it's about
love, caring, and giving."
"Call it a safe bet - maybe even a bright-red, bull's-eye, fashionable,
smartly priced bet - that American life has become too corporate or complex
when Target banishes the Salvation Army's bell ringers," Indianapolis Star
columnist Ruth Holladay wrote.
Others say they'll take their business elsewhere.
"I thought it was wrong because the Salvation Army is a good cause. They
take care of lots of good people around the country and in our community. I
won't be supporting Target this year, at all," once-loyal Target shopper
Jeffrey Trimm told Christian World News.
Robert Knight of Concerned Women for America told CWN, "Millions of
Christians give Target millions of dollars in their Christmas shopping, and
what they've gotten from Target in return? A lump of coal.
"We had one tangible aspect of Christmas, beyond the commercial reason. We
had the Salvation Army out there, a Christian charity collecting money for
the poor at Christmas. What a great counterweight to the all-mighty dollar
which is being worshipped in these stores," he added.
The opposition has even produced a Web site called bantarget.org, calling on
all shoppers to spend their money at businesses that support bell-ringers.
Grindle says if the charity can't replace its losses, it will have to cut
services.
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