AFA Boycotted Federated Stores Over This Issue Last Year. Here Are The Results.

Dear Federated Customer,

Thank you for writing to share your views with us. Unfortunately, there is a great deal of misinformation circulating regarding our practices in wishing customers "Merry Christmas". Please allow me to set the record straight.

It is important that our stores reflect the diversity of our customers, our organizations and our society. This is true during the December holidays, as it is throughout the year. Our intention is to make every customer feel welcomed and acknowledged, whether they celebrate Christmas or other holidays.

That being said, we warmly embrace customers who visit our stores during the Christmas season-whether it's to shop for gifts for friends, for their families, or for themselves. Here is a sampling of how Macy's makes Christmas part of the experience in our stores:

1. Throughout the holiday shopping season, our associates are encouraged to wish our customers Merry Christmas or Feliz Navidad or Happy Hanukkah or Habari Gani or Happy Kwaanza, as appropriate.
2. We offer "Merry Christmas" electronic gift cards at every point-of-sale terminal.
3. The word "Christmas" is used in our 2005 holiday TV advertising jingle.
4. The word "Christmas" is mentioned in our holiday print ads.
5. "Merry Christmas" is prominent in many merchandise items in our trim-a-tree shop and elsewhere in the store.
6. The display windows in our flagship Macy's Herald Square store in New York will be themed, "Christmas Time in the City" this year.

Thank you again for giving us the opportunity to respond. Please accept our wishes for a happy, joyous and peaceful Christmas season.

Regards,
Tracy D. Fletcher
Federated Department Stores
Office of Compliance