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Mall Does Something Shocking To Its Santa Claus Setup That Sparks Instant Backlash And Forces Apology
South Park Mall in Charlotte, N.C., got in some hot water recently for setting up the “Glacier” display for Santa in lieu of the traditional Christmas tree and other trappings of the season. The reaction to the move was so immediate and negative, the mall has relented.
.@simonmalls honestly, you have to be kidding me. What is that? This is awful. #BringBackTheTree pic.twitter.com/VPakPNVBwB
— Jess Petrauskas (@JessPetrauskas) November 7, 2015
When the mall started to receive negative feedback, it issued the following statement to local news affiliate Fox 46:
SouthPark is thrilled to be among the first wave of Simon centers to receive the new “Glacier” Santa experience. The reinvented and modernized experience will bring the Charlotte community together in a way that hasn’t been done before. Simon values tradition, and that’s exactly why we wanted to refresh and modernize our holiday experience at SouthPark to keep the tradition fresh and exciting. This new experience will delight our shoppers and their families with fun and interactive elements, including a sound and light show every 30 minutes. We’re aiming to create a magical experience – something truly different and fun for families to enjoy together this year and for years to come.
Shopper were not delighted and started an online petition social media campaign to #BringBackTheTree. In 24 hours, the petition garnered over 20,000 signatures. It reads:
Southpark Mall and Simons Malls have decided to abandon a long standing tradition of having a Christmas tree in the center of the mall and Christmas tree lighting ceremony. We, the community of Charlotte, feel this is in poor taste and needs to be corrected. As the Christmas shopping season begins, we feel Simons mall surely doesn’t want to lose customers over changing a long standing tradition. We urge Southpark and Simons mall to bring back our tradition. #BringBacktheTree @SouthParkMallNC @Simonmalls
One family even put their frustration to verse to the tune of “Holly, Jolly Christmas.” The little ditty already has over 11,000 views.
The mall relented and announced on Saturday that it was bringing in a traditional Christmas tree and the other accouterments.
We’re adding key elements to the Santa set this week & listening to our customer feedback, we will now include a traditional Christmas tree. — SouthPark Mall (@SouthParkMallNC) November 7, 2015
And getting rid of the glacier:
.@SouthParkMallNC #Glacier #Christmas set coming down after protests support tradition https://t.co/K1tJQf4caX pic.twitter.com/TqA8lPi4aI
— Sharon Smith WBTV (@ssmithwbtv) November 8, 2015
Chalk one more up to the magic of Christmas and the power of united consumers.
h/t: TheBlaze
Source: http://www.westernjournalism.com/mall-does-something-shocking-to-its-santa-claus-setup-that-sparks-instant-backlash-and-forces-apology/
