Tesco has found itself at the centre of a festive firestorm after a customer noticed the supermarket had listed a 6.5ft artificial tree as a 'Luxury Evergreen Tree'. The product, priced at £60, ignited a fierce debate on social media about seasonal branding and so-called 'woke' culture.
Political Figures Weigh In
The controversy quickly escalated when prominent political figures joined the conversation. Susan Hall, the Conservative leader in the London Assembly, did not hold back in her criticism. Taking to the social media platform X, she posted: "Wretched ridiculous nonsense, call it what it is, it's a Christmas tree. There, I said it out loud. I'm fed up with all this woke stupidity."
Her sentiments were echoed by Olympic medallist Sharron Davies, who also commented on X, describing the rebranding as "a bit silly". She added, "It's a Christmas tree that people put up at Christmas to celebrate Christmas!"
Shoppers Divided in Online Debate
The initial post on X sparked a divided response from the public. Some users accused Tesco of excessive political correctness and even called for a boycott of the supermarket, questioning whether the retailer was taking offence at the Christian celebration.
However, the reaction was not universally negative. On platforms like Reddit, other shoppers offered a different perspective. One user pointed out, "Everyone already knows it is a Christmas tree, the name has changed because the fake trees have gotten so good you might be buying one that mimics a pine or a spruce. That is therefore a much more descriptive and useful name than 'Christmas tree'."
Another commenter highlighted free-market principles, stating, "Private company, they can do what they like. I can also refuse to buy it. Things really don't have to be any more difficult than that."
Tesco's Response and Historical Context
In response to the growing debate, a spokesperson for Tesco provided clarification to the Express. They emphasised that the company is "proudly celebrating Christmas" and has a full range of real and artificial trees available.
The spokesperson explained that the "'evergreen tree'" description was used "to make it clear which type of Christmas tree is inside the box and help customers to distinguish between the many Christmas Trees in the range." They also confirmed that the box is clearly marked as part of their Christmas category.
A look at the Tesco website confirms that numerous other products are still explicitly marketed as "Christmas trees", with prices ranging from £5.19 to £159.99. This is not the first time Tesco has faced such criticism; the supermarket encountered a similar backlash in 2021 for selling a 7ft plastic 'evergreen tree' without mentioning Christmas.
