Stores bringing back ‘Christmas’ spirit for shoppers

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - This year’s winter shopping season should be slightly less “happy” but much more “merry.”

According to a new report from Zogby International, a New York-based opinion research firm, 32 percent of shoppers are offended when a clerk wishes someone “Happy Holidays,” while only 5 percent take offense to “Merry Christmas.”

“This is just an indication of a larger trend towards people being able to express their own individual belief system,” said Dr. Robbie Blinkoff, principle anthropologist for Context-Based Research Group. “People are more accepting of that around the holiday.”

In the Zogby poll, 12,806 adult shoppers were surveyed between Nov. 21 to 29, and the results will continue to have stores offering up plenty of “Merry Christmas’,” “Happy Hannakkahs” and “Happy Kwanzas.” Fifty-one percent of shoppers said they are annoyed by clerks who force a “Happy Holidays” just to be politically correct, while 36 percent more purposely avoid those stores putting on a false front.

“We have listened to our customers and our associates, and they let us know that Christmas is important to them,” said Marisa Bluestone, a spokesman for Wal-Mart, who operates 41 stores in Maryland. “It’s the right thing to do.”

Only 32 percent of those polled who identified themselves as Jewish said they took offense to being wished a “Merry Christmas,” with the same going for only 10 percent who identified themselves as non-Christian. However, that is not to say that there won’t be considerations made for them as well.

“We certainly leave it to our associates’ best judgment [on which greetings to use]. Customers can certainly expect to hear plenty of happy tidings, all culturally different,” Bluestone said. “Even ‘Felice Navidad’ can be expected in some locations.”

dcarey@baltimoreexaminer.com

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