Season’s greetings vary as stores try to be sensitive

Many retailers are letting their employees choose how to greet customers this holiday shopping season.

“Associates in the stores have the option to say, ’Merry Christmas,’ if they want to,” said Marty Heires, a spokesman for Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer. “We ask that they use good judgment.”

Last month, an e-mail from a Wal-Mart employee that called Christmas a collaboration of holidays angered some Christian groups.

Employees at other retailers, including Macy’s, Target, Circuit City, Pier 1 Imports and Ikea, are allowed to greet customers with a holiday-specific greeting or a general “happy holidays” or “season’s greetings,” spokesmen said.

In advertising, though, stores vary.

Macy’s marketing includes the phrase “Merry Christmas.” Windows in its flagship Herald Square store in New York are decorated with a “Christmastime in the City” theme.

“We say Christmas in all of our marketing,” said spokeswoman Katie Wadhams. “That’s not a change from the past. There’s always been Christmas as part of our marketing. This year it’s more prominent than in the past.”

Wal-Mart uses the word “holiday” on its signage.

“What we’re trying to do by using ’holiday’ is to be more sensitive to persons of all faiths that are shopping at this time of year,” Mr. Heires said.

At Pier 1, it is more practical to fill the store with products that can be used throughout winter than items specifically for the holiday.

“We’ve tried to be more seasonal with holiday merchandise selection with colors matching the winter months,” said Pier 1 spokeswoman Misty Otto.

American Atheists, a Parsippany, N.J., nonprofit organization that defends the civil rights of people who don’t believe in God, has not pushed retailers to eliminate religion-specific holiday greetings, but is pleased when they say “happy holidays.”

“Retailers are doing their best, and we appreciate that. But we think ’happy holidays’ speaks to everybody,” said Ellen Johnson, president of American Atheists.

“It’s good business to speak to all the people and not to some of the people … and just being polite,” Ms. Johnson said.

From an economic standpoint, Christmas is not in danger, she said.

“Our economy is dependent on this time of year; it’s lasting longer than it ever has,” she said.

Others don’t want to hear “season’s greetings” or “happy holidays.”

The Committee to Save Merry Christmas, a small group based in Sacramento, Calif., that works to preserve the culture of Christmas, announced a boycott of Sears stores Wednesday.

The group wants store signs to declare “Merry Christmas.”

“These stores … are inducing all of us to purchase gifts for Christmas and don’t have the courtesy to use ’Merry Christmas’ in the stores,” said Manuel Zamorano, director of the committee. “Our desire was never to hurt these companies; all we want is Merry Christmas back in the stores.”

Sears says it does not prohibit the Christmas greeting.

“Neither Sears nor Kmart prohibits the use of Merry Christmas in our stores,” the company said. “In recognition of [customers’] diversity, we believe it would be inappropriate for us to prohibit the use of generally accepted holiday greetings or phrases such as ’Merry Christmas,’ ” the statement said.

Other groups are engaged in holiday boycotts, too.

The Center for Reclaiming America for Christ, a group that motivates Christians to defend biblical principles, has started a boycott of Target stores because the retailer does not allow Salvation Army bell ringers.

A Target spokeswoman said the store cannot fulfill all of its many charity requests. Instead of allowing solicitation at the stores, she said, the retailer provides grants to local nonprofit organizations and directs customers to the Web site target.com/salvationarmy if they want to donate.