As Christmas approaches, men trussed up in red suits and sporting fluffy white beards become a ubiquitous sight on high streets up and down the country don’t they?
Parents of young children can guarantee that several versions of Father Christmas will be doling out presents and sprinkling a bit of festive magic in the shops.
However, the popularity of the role is alleged to have backfired, with parents complaining that there are so many Santas it is confusing their children.
Debenhams, the department store chain, has this year signalled the end of an era by announcing that there will be no grottos or Santas in its shops for the first time in several years.
It said that last year, customers complained that they saw four or five versions of the mythical character in just one shopping trip and that their prevalence was spoiling the magic.
What do you think?
Read the article in The Telegraph