PICS: SouthPark Mall has started dismantling it's controversial glacier. Full story here: https://t.co/UwMQkn7J1f pic.twitter.com/fyVaF1j9S2
— WCNC Charlotte (@wcnc) November 8, 2015
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A North Carolina shopping mall is bringing back Santa’s Christmas tree after replacing it with a giant glacier upset many shoppers.
SouthPark Mall in Charlotte announced on Twitter Saturday that they’re “adding key elements to the Santa set,” including a traditional Christmas tree.
Multiple news agencies posted photos to Twitter on Sunday of the glacier being dismantled. A Christmas tree will soon be brought back.
Pics sent to us showing that the glacier experience is being taken down at SouthPark Mall. @WCCBCharlotte pic.twitter.com/uFUjMGf5UE
— Marvin Beach (@MBeach14) November 8, 2015
The mall made headlines Friday after it was revealed that they replaced Santa’s Christmas tree with a giant fake glacier and were cancelling their tree-lighting ceremony.
The mall originally told the Charlotte Observer that it was implementing the changes in an effort to make visiting Santa “fresh and exciting.”
BREAKING: a @wsoctv viewer just sent me these photos. The glacier is coming down. An employee tells me tree going up pic.twitter.com/oY8JBae84v
— Joe Bruno (@JoeBrunoWSOC9) November 8, 2015
But the changes did not go over well with many customers. A petition on Change.org to bring the Christmas tree back had more than 19,000 supporters as of Saturday night.
“Southpark Mall and Simons Malls have decided to abandon a long standing tradition of having a Christmas tree in the center of the mall and Christmas tree lighting ceremony,”the petition reads. “We, the community of Charlotte, feel this is in poor taste and needs to be corrected.”
The mall said they are listening to their customers and will soon be adding the tree.
We're adding key elements to the Santa set this week & listening to our customer feedback, we will now include a traditional Christmas tree.
— SouthPark Mall (@SouthParkMallNC) November 7, 2015