CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- A North Carolina shopping mall announced it would "now be including a traditional Christmas tree" in its Santa set. The decision came after a social media backlash that ensued when the mall initially unveiled a "Glacier" set without a tree.
"We've listened to our shopper feedback the last few days. We're still adding in key elements to the Santa set this week and after hearing our customer concerns we will now be including a traditional Christmas tree as one of those elements," a mall spokesperson posted on Facebook. "Together, the mix of traditional and modern design will create a magical North Pole and a new family tradition. Come and explore this modern and interactive experience."
The mall's Glacier display was only up a day or two before the mall started to hear complaints.
"With the last display they had up there, you really didn't know what you were walking into," David Britt told WBTV. "A lot of people thought it was Mork and Mindy reenactment, some people thought it was Frozen or Superman's home."
More than 25,000 people signed a Change.org petition in an effort to convince the mall to add a Christmas tree to the Christmas display.
"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," the petition stated. "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."
