Tesco has ignited a storm of controversy after customers noticed it had rebranded some of its Christmas trees as 'evergreen trees'. The supermarket giant is selling a 6.5ft 'Luxury Evergreen Tree' for £60 both online and in-store, a move that has provoked a furious response from many Britons on social media.
Social Media Fury Erupts
The decision prompted an immediate and passionate backlash online, with many users branding the change as 'woke nonsense'. Susan Hall, the leader of the Conservatives in the London Assembly, was vocal in her criticism. She took to X, formerly Twitter, to state: '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.'
Olympic medalist Sharron Davies also weighed in, characterising the move as 'a bit silly'. The discontent spread rapidly, with one user accusing Tesco of political correctness and calling for a public boycott of the retailer. Others went further, questioning whether the supermarket was offended by the Christian holiday itself.
Tesco's Defence and Product Range
In response to the outcry, Tesco provided a statement to the Daily Mail. A spokesperson clarified that the company is very much celebrating Christmas, saying, 'We are at Tesco and have a range of real and artificial Christmas trees in store as part of a wide selection of Christmas products to help our customers celebrate Christmas this year.'
The supermarket explained that the 'evergreen tree' label was used specifically to indicate the type of tree inside the box, not to remove the word 'Christmas' from its festivities. On the Tesco website, numerous other trees are still explicitly listed as 'Christmas trees' under the dedicated Christmas tab. These products, sold directly by Tesco, range in price from £5.19 to £159.99.
A Recurring Seasonal Debate
This is not the first time Tesco has encountered heat over this particular issue. Back in 2021, the retailer sold a 7ft-tall plastic 'evergreen tree' for £80 without a reference to Christmas. The current situation reflects a broader pattern of similar rebranding efforts across the UK. In 2022, the University of Brighton advised its staff to refer to the 'winter closure period' instead of Christmas. More recently, in 2023, Christmas markets in areas like County Durham were renamed 'winter markets' in a bid to be more inclusive.
Despite the furore, Tesco maintains that it has not stopped advertising or selling Christmas trees and remains fully committed to the holiday season.
