"Merry Christmas" to those at Lowe’s.

Its customers communicated with management. Christians asked that Lowe’s remembers the "reason for the season." It’s not "holiday." It’s "Christmas."

Lowe’s responded. Their Christmas trees are now called just that. Lowe’s informed the American Family Association that the company took down the signs reading "holiday trees." In their place went up the signs reading "Christmas trees." (See www.afa.net/activism/IssueDetail.asp?id=183 ).

That means that every store within the chain has labeled the 49 varieties of live and artificial trees as "Christmas trees." Lowe’s in fact went further to explain that the "holiday trees" label was originally a "mistake." Lowe’s had no motive of denigrating Christmas or snubbing Christians.

Customers applaud Lowe’s not only for the name change but also for the explanation. It would help if other retailers followed through with like change.

Sears has done so. They have shipped out "Merry Christmas" signs to all their stores. The executives inform store managers to display the Christmas signs in place of "holiday greetings." Their ads also will carry the "Merry Christmas" greeting.

Target says next season Salvation Army bell ringers will return.

Walgreen’s apologized that it is too late to change their "happy holidays" banners with "Merry Christmas" but next year it will be "Merry Christmas."

Here is Lowe's statement:

Lowe's has proudly sold Christmas trees in our stores for decades, and we continue to do so this year in all of our stores nationwide. All 49 varieties of live and artificial trees at Lowe's and on our web site, Lowes.com, are labeled as Christmas trees.

The product signs inside Lowe's stores have always said "Christmas trees," though an outside banner did not. To ensure consistency of our message and to avoid confusion among our customers, we are now referring to the trees only as "Christmas Trees." We have also removed the banner that read "holiday trees" from the front of our stores.

Lowe's apologizes for any confusion the banner created. We appreciate our customers bringing the matter to our attention and giving us the opportunity to correct the error.

For many retailers, including Lowe's, the holiday season encompasses all the holidays between October and early January. Thus we adopted an overall "Home for the Holidays" theme five years ago. In addition to spanning the season, we believe this theme is respectful of all our customers, regardless of which holidays they may celebrate.

AFA responded with this suggestion: "Just as we alerted Lowe's to our concerns, now let's show them our support by sending thank you emails."

Robert Niblock, Chairman
Lowe's
1000 Lowe's Boulevard
Mooresville, NC 28117

Primary Phone: 1-800-445-6937
E-Mail: Robert Niblock

Copyright © 2005 by J. Grant Swank, Jr.

Email: joseph_swank@yahoo.com