Store axes Santa, cites too many Santas

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LONDON, Nov. 24 (UPI) -- A British department store chain said it will no longer feature appearances by Santa Claus because there are too many guys in red suits and snowy beards.

Santas have been cropping up on street corners and stores all over Britain in recent years, which led the management at Debenhams to conclude it was getting too confusing for children.

"We don't want to overcrowd the market and of course Father Christmas can only be in one place at one time," a Debenhams spokeswoman said.

The representative told Britain's The Daily Telegraph it wasn't a unilateral decision by store management.

"We had complaints from parents saying there were too many, which was confusing for their young children," she said.

Some parents, however, told The Daily Telegraph they suspected eliminating store Santas was probably a cost-cutting move by Debenhams and were sorry to see the attraction go.

"For the right age group, there is still some excitement around Father Christmas and it's a really nice, exciting outing," said Justine Roberts of the product review website Mumsnet.