Want To See Santa? That'll Be $2,500

London’s iconic department store Harrods has set a strict policy for this year's Santa Claus visits at its Swarovski crystal-encrusted “Secret Forest Grotto.”

What Happened

Santa Clause visits will only be available to the families who have spent at least £2,000 ($2,560) at the luxury store this year, Bloomberg reported Sunday.

The store — owned by Qatar’s ruling family through the Qatar Investment Authority — faced criticism for letting corporate greed ruin Christmas.

“Harrods is behaving like the Grinch who stole Christmas,” James Browne, who has taken his 15-year old son to Harrods for Christmas every year, told the British publication The Guardian. “Visiting Father Christmas shouldn’t be reserved for those that are fortunate enough to frequent the store and spend thousands of pounds.”

What’s Next

The 10-minute appointments with Santa will start Nov. 15, and all the slots have already been sold out.

Following the outrage, Harrods allowed 160 families with spendings lower than $2,560 to see Santa Claus. 

A spokesperson for Harrods defended the company’s decision stating that they are “overwhelmed by requests,” and only have limited slots to offer, leading to such restrictions.

Harrods faced calls for boycotts in 2014 as critics argued that shopping at the heritage store amounted to funding terror sponsored by its owner, the Qatar royal family, the Telegraph reported at the time.

Posted In: NewsRetail SalesGlobalMarketsMediaBloombergChristmasLondonthe GuardianUK
Benzinga simplifies the market for smarter investing

Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.

Join Now: Free!

Loading...