Is Santa missing from your mall?

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:01 pm by Deacon Greg Kandra

Is Santa missing from your mall? 2016-09-30T17:01:15-04:00 Deacon Greg Kandra

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Turns out, he isn’t quite as ubiquitous as he used to be.

Details, from TIME:

Throughout North America, most shopping centers are proceeding with the traditions of the season, including regular appearances of Santa, complete with the chance for kids to sit on his lap, tell him what they want, and get a picture taken—so long as they can endure the traditionally long line to get their turn.

The San Diego Union-Tribune recently reported, however, that Santa is showing up less, and sometimes not all at all, at certain malls. In the San Diego area, a live Santa made just a single appearance this season at the Vieja Outlets, and is only showing his face on Saturdays at the Westfield Horton Plaza Mall. The Hazard Center mall decided not to bother with booking a Santa at all.

Are Santa appearances fewer and farther between? Well, if they are, it’s not because he’s busier at this time of year (though of course he is), nor is it due to the so-called “War on Christmas.” Mostly, the Union-Tribune explains, the decision to skip or scale back on an in-person Santa Claus comes down to the demographics of the shopping center’s typical visitors:

“We are a destination shopping center (versus a mall) that caters specifically to those who work and live in Mission Valley,” Lisa Gualco, general manager for Hazard Center, said in an email. “As such, we want to keep their shopping experience quick, efficient and convenient throughout the holiday season.”

When the bulk of a mall’s shoppers are tourists, young singles, and older folks—basically anybody other than moms with young kids—there’s little reason to devote time, space, money, and energy for a large-scale “Meet Santa” section.

Last year, the Toronto Eaton Centre mall made news—and was the subject of many complaints—when it dropped the 100-year-old tradition of hosting Santa daily throughout the holidays. Santa instead started making appearances only on Saturdays and Sundays, and was only available for photos and story time with kids whose parents had reservations for a specific session with the big guy. The mall also offered evening sessions when children could chat with Santa via Skype from the comfort of their own homes.

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