Target: Still no to bell ringers, donating $1 million instead


For the third year in a row, Salvation Army bell ringers won't be allowed in front of Target Corp.'s (NYSE:TGT) stores. The nation's second-largest retail discount chain said it prefers to make a one-time donation to the group -- $1 million this year -- instead of having Salvation Army volunteers stand in front of its stores waiting for donations.

This follows Target's stance of not allowing fund-raising in its stores in any way, even though the Salvation Army bell ringers are staples in front of many high-volume retail locations this time of year.

On one hand, Target is treating all fund-raising activities the same and is not waffling on its stance here. On the other hand, competitor Wal-Mart is allowing Salvation Arny bell ringers in front of its stores like always, and is even bringing "Christmas" as a theme for the holidays instead of using universal and generic themes like "Seasons Greetings" and "Happy Holidays".

A post from a week ago continues to ignite the powder keg that is the battle between proponents of the word "Christmas" and/or holiday to describe the season itself to those who don't want to be forced a holiday that they don't ascribe to.

What is your thought? Should Target allow "one exception" to the "no fund raisers" policy and allow Salvation Army bell ringers in front of stores this or future seasons? The money goes to the underprivileged and needy -- so why doesn't Target allow this kind of human fellowship and giving? Comments welcome.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

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