Christmas-friendly stores polled on Web

Focus on the Family is worried Christmas is being forgotten.

For the third year in a row, the evangelical organization is taking retailers to task for using generic language like “season’s greetings” and “holiday sales,” calling the omission of “Christmas” an insult to the Christian faith.

But this year Focus has added a twist: Rather than have staffers decide which retailers are unfriendly to Christmas, customers can rate retailers themselves at StandforChristmas.com.

Having the public decide is a better system, said Carrie Gordon Earll, a spokeswoman for Focus Action, the political arm of the Colorado Springs-based group.

“This Web site puts consumers in the driver’s seat and will be more accurate of how people really feel,” she said. “We think this will take off like a rocket.”

At StandforChristmas.com, shoppers can choose among 30 retailers listed and rate them as to how “Christmas-friendly” they are.

So far, the retailers with strong positive ratings include Kmart (88 percent), Lands’ End (84 percent), Sears, Roebuck and Co. (76 percent) and Target (74 percent).

Among those with low Christmas-friendly ratings are the Gap (2 percent), Best Buy (7 percent), Borders (8 percent) and Old Navy (13 percent).

Target hangs holiday banners inscribed with “Christmas” in its stores, and at Target.com there is a shopping section called “Christmas at Target.”

But company spokeswoman Kelly Basgen said the chain also features holiday-neutral language.

“We know that Christmas is important to many of our guests,” she said, “but we also want to be inclusive and sensitive to everyone.”

Basgen said conservative Christian holiday campaigns like Focus’ have not played a role in Target’s marketing decisions.