Christians prefer to shop at stores that promote the same values as they do, so now that Christmas is fast approaching, they are keeping an eye out for Liberty Counsel's Friend or Foe Christmas Campaign.
The campaign has just released their Naughty and Nice Retail List 2017, which highlights companies that publicly celebrate Christmas and admonishes companies that silence and censor the holiday.
Those that made it to the "nice" list include American Eagle Outfitters, AC Moore Arts & Crafts, Bath & Body Works, Walmart, Belk, JCPenney, Staples and Kohl's. Hallmark also made it to the list, and they applauded the company for not being afraid of brandishing Christmas themes in their products.
"From ornaments and gifts to print and televised advertisements, the usage of 'Christmas' continues to rise together with the term 'holiday.' There are multiple references to Christmas on the web page and ample Christmas product supply, including Nativity scenes. The stores contain 'Christmas' signs, which is rare in retail today," they said.
On the other hand, Old Navy, Gap, TJ Maxx, Barnes & Noble, Dick's Sporting Goods, J. Crew, Walgreens and RadioShack are among those that made it to the "naughty" list.
Liberty Counsel bemoaned the decreasing number of Christmas references in Gap stores, especially since their Chief Communications Officer Bill Chandler wrote in 2013 that each of their store windows should bear the sign "Merry Christmas. "We hope you'll agree that our Gap Inc. family of brands, including Gap and Old Navy, are Christmas friendly this holiday season," he wrote then.
Sadly, Liberty Counsel stated that "in the years since the announcement, GAP, including the affiliated Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Athleta, have shown a decline in Christmas friendliness with reduced references on their website and in stores."
Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel, told Charisma News that they created the list in the hopes of encouraging retail stores to embrace the Christmas season. "We are now seeing a return to honesty in advertising. If stores are trying to sell items for this special season, then they should call it Christmas. As our 'Nice List' continues to expand, we are happy to report that retailers are recognizing that it is about the birth of Jesus, not a 'winter holiday,'" he said.
