Retailer discord rings over charity's bells

This holiday season's retail conundrum: to silence the bells, or let them ring.

As the Salvation Army kicks off its annual red-kettle program today, a growing number of retailers, from Best Buy to Target, are banning Salvation Army bell ringers from their doors -- to avoid having to choose between competing charities and out of concern for customers, they say.

That's created a schism in the retail world, with rival chains banking on kettle-carrying volunteers to set them apart as more civic-minded.

''The Salvation Army has a remarkable history of providing year-round service to families, and Big Lots is proud to continue our tradition of helping with their fundraising goals," said the Columbus, Ohio, discounter in a statement issued last month after Target Corp. said it was banning the bell ringers.

Upon hearing of the Salvation Army's woes -- Target kettles brought in about $9 million last year -- BJ's Wholesale Club Inc. decided to put the nonprofit group's signature red donation kettles in its stores during the holiday season. Auto parts chain AutoZone Inc. and Books-A-Million Inc., the nation's number three book retailer, also opened their doors to the Salvation Army.

The bell ringers are ''very welcome" in front of Wal-Mart stores, said a company spokesman. Even so, the world's largest retailer imposes restrictions: Salvation Army volunteers can stand outside its stores and solicit for only a total of 14 calendar days, and for no more than three days in a row.

Other retailers say no to bell ringers and other charities out of courtesy for shoppers. ''They are coming here for a reason, and the reason is not for solicitation of any kind by a third party," said Steve Mullen, a Circuit City spokesman.

Some shoppers disagree. ''It's a disgrace," said South Boston resident Phyllis McElaney about the ban. ''The bell ringers remind you of the meaning of Christmas, that it's about love, caring, and giving."

To others, the bells are just more Christmas clutter. ''The bell ringing is annoying," said Stephani Gray as she headed into a Target store in Dorchester.

The bans are a sign of the nation's changing retail landscape. Over the past two decades, national chains like Home Depot Inc., Barnes & Noble Inc., and Circuit City Stores Inc. have replaced regional and independent players like Bradlees Inc. and Caldor Corp. With the national chains have come national corporate policies, including a no-solicitation rule.

Target, however, has made an exception for the Salvation Army, a Christian charity that provides food, clothing, and shelter. Until this year: With more requests coming from nonprofits that wanted to station fund-raisers at Target stores, a spokeswoman for the Minneapolis chain has said, ''It's becoming increasingly difficult to have an exception to our policy, so we decided we would have no exceptions."

The Salvation Army said its red-kettle program raised nearly $94 million nationwide and $2.65 million in Massachusetts last year. This year, the group hopes to increase the state number to $2.85 million. But even with retailers like Books-A-Million and arts-and-crafts chain Michaels Stores Inc. pitching in to help fill the void, the feat could be tough to pull off. Money raised at Target stores represented about 3 percent of the state's total last year.

''The Christmas kettle brings people back to a simpler time -- the bell ringer on the corner, Dad carrying the Christmas tree on his back, people shopping on city streets," said Michael Fetcho, the Army's development and community relations director for Massachusetts. ''We take advantage of all the more modern ways to raise money, but we don't want to give up on the kettle program."

Kathleen Seiders, an associate professor of marketing at Boston College, said it's smart for retailers to step up, because shoppers like to know stores are giving back to the community. That doesn't mean shoppers will boycott Target and other bell-banning retailers, but it does mean they might visit a retailer who supports the Salvation Army that they might not have visited otherwise. ''It generates good will because people want to believe they are helping others, especially during the holidays," she said.

Issie Shait, general manager of CambridgeSide Galleria, said deciding which groups can solicit on mall property gets complicated. The Cambridge mall chooses to work with charities that contribute to the local community. Unlike at some national charities, money donated to the Salvation Army stays in the community.

''You're a big part of whatever community you're in as a retailer," Shait said.

''You can't do everything. But you can do the best you can for the groups that you can work with."

Naomi Aoki can be reached at naoki@globe.com.