CRYING, SNEEZING, PANT-WETTING: SURVEY REVEALS WHAT MALL SANTAS ENDURE
By Mel Fabrikant Thursday, December 14, 2006, 08:11 PM EST
Auntie Anne’s® lends support with the “Santa We Got Your Back†Survival Kit
GAP, Pa. (December 14, 2006) – When was the last time someone pulled your beard or wet on your lap at work? This is what mall Santas cheerfully endure every year. After discovering that 34 percent of mall Santas have been “wet†on by a child, Auntie Anne’s believes that no one has it as bad during the holidays as the mall Santa. Auntie Anne’s Pretzels, located primarily in malls, conducted a survey to understand just how much abuse old St. Nick withstands. And based on its findings, mall Santas across the nation are finally going to receive some tender loving care with the Santa Survival Kit.
The “Santa We Got Your Back†survey, administered online by Brand IQ, polled more than 330 of the 1,000+ members with the Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas (AORBS), an international association of real bearded gentlemen dedicated to the joy of being Santa, to prove he truly is the hardest working man in retail during the holiday season. The average real bearded Santa respondent is 59-years-old, 5 feet 10 inches tall and a healthy 257 pounds.
Beyond how many kids have been “naughty or nice,†following are the survey highlights:
More than 60 percent of mall Santas are sneezed or coughed on up to 10 times each day
74 percent have up to 10 children cry while on their lap each day
Nearly 90 percent of mall Santas have their beard pulled each day to see if it’s real
Nearly half of mall Santas’ black boots are between a size 10 to 11½, and more than 50 percent of Santas have children step on their boots 1 to 10 times a day
45 percent of Santas see camera “flash†spots more than 25 times a day
Nearly 50 percent have up to 10 children try to take their glasses off each day
Nearly 30 percent of mall Santas have more than 100 children sit on their lap every day
Other fun facts about Santa:
If Santa could “pimp his sleigh,†44 percent would add a GPS for Mrs. Claus. If moms and dads think requests from their little ones are over-the-top, here’s a sampling of the far out items mall Santas are asked for – exotic pets (giraffes, pigs, elephants and penguins to name a few), cookbooks for Mom because she can’t cook very well, a new sibling because kids don’t care for the one they have or to have their little brother taken care of - if you know what we mean!
While most people look forward to family vacations or watching football games after Christmas, 52 percent of Santas look forward to taking a nice, long nap. After spending her year freezing at the North Pole, Mrs. Claus wishes for time alone with her jolly old husband in a warm climate.
In light of these findings, Auntie Anne’s is providing mall Santas nationwide with the “Santa We Got Your Back†Survival Kit to help them through the crying, sneezing, toe-stomping, pant-wetting and beard-pulling this holiday. The Santa Survival Kit includes:
Boot polish kit, hand sanitizer, cherry lip balm, backup red light bulb for Rudolph’s nose, official reindeer pooper-scooper, absorbent Santa tissue pack, Mrs. Claus peppermint foot lotion, Shout® wipes, beard grooming kit, battery-operated fan, chilled bottle of Dasani® water, free Auntie Anne’s Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel cards, Ricola® throat drops (for the ho, ho, ho-ing) and a roll of mint Certs®
“While Santas’ workload increases over the holiday season, we love every minute of our jobs,†said Santa Timothy Connaghan, executive director of AORBS. “We are delighted to receive the Santa Survival Kits filled with goodies to help us through this busy, yet exciting, time of year.â€
The following are additional mall Santa facts:
60 percent of real bearded Santas groom their beard up to four times each day
23 percent own four to six red suits to stay looking sharp for the holiday
Mall Santas are very well-hydrated men, with 45 percent drinking 5 to 10 glasses of water each day
Fresh breath is of top priority for 20 percent of Santas who eat four to six mints each day
52 percent of Santas believe girls are more shy than boys
When children come to visit Santa at the mall, over 75 percent believe they have been good all year long while only half of Santas believe they are telling the truth.
Representatives from Auntie Anne’s stores nationwide will distribute the Santa Survival Kits throughout the holiday season, making sure mall Santas are well equipped for this chaotic time of year.
For the complete survey results along with the top 10 list of strangest gift requests of mall Santas, please visit www.auntieannes.com.
About Auntie Anne’s
Auntie Anne’s, Inc. is a Pennsylvania-based franchisor that supports over 900 Auntie Anne’s Pretzels locations worldwide. The concept mixes, twists and bakes pretzels to golden brown perfection in full view of customers. Auntie Anne’s is committed to pretzel perfection by guaranteeing you will love its pretzels or they will replace it with one that you do. For more information, please visit www.auntieannes.com.
GAP, Pa. (December 14, 2006) – When was the last time someone pulled your beard or wet on your lap at work? This is what mall Santas cheerfully endure every year. After discovering that 34 percent of mall Santas have been “wet†on by a child, Auntie Anne’s believes that no one has it as bad during the holidays as the mall Santa. Auntie Anne’s Pretzels, located primarily in malls, conducted a survey to understand just how much abuse old St. Nick withstands. And based on its findings, mall Santas across the nation are finally going to receive some tender loving care with the Santa Survival Kit.
The “Santa We Got Your Back†survey, administered online by Brand IQ, polled more than 330 of the 1,000+ members with the Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas (AORBS), an international association of real bearded gentlemen dedicated to the joy of being Santa, to prove he truly is the hardest working man in retail during the holiday season. The average real bearded Santa respondent is 59-years-old, 5 feet 10 inches tall and a healthy 257 pounds.
Beyond how many kids have been “naughty or nice,†following are the survey highlights:
More than 60 percent of mall Santas are sneezed or coughed on up to 10 times each day
74 percent have up to 10 children cry while on their lap each day
Nearly 90 percent of mall Santas have their beard pulled each day to see if it’s real
Nearly half of mall Santas’ black boots are between a size 10 to 11½, and more than 50 percent of Santas have children step on their boots 1 to 10 times a day
45 percent of Santas see camera “flash†spots more than 25 times a day
Nearly 50 percent have up to 10 children try to take their glasses off each day
Nearly 30 percent of mall Santas have more than 100 children sit on their lap every day
Other fun facts about Santa:
If Santa could “pimp his sleigh,†44 percent would add a GPS for Mrs. Claus. If moms and dads think requests from their little ones are over-the-top, here’s a sampling of the far out items mall Santas are asked for – exotic pets (giraffes, pigs, elephants and penguins to name a few), cookbooks for Mom because she can’t cook very well, a new sibling because kids don’t care for the one they have or to have their little brother taken care of - if you know what we mean!
While most people look forward to family vacations or watching football games after Christmas, 52 percent of Santas look forward to taking a nice, long nap. After spending her year freezing at the North Pole, Mrs. Claus wishes for time alone with her jolly old husband in a warm climate.
In light of these findings, Auntie Anne’s is providing mall Santas nationwide with the “Santa We Got Your Back†Survival Kit to help them through the crying, sneezing, toe-stomping, pant-wetting and beard-pulling this holiday. The Santa Survival Kit includes:
Boot polish kit, hand sanitizer, cherry lip balm, backup red light bulb for Rudolph’s nose, official reindeer pooper-scooper, absorbent Santa tissue pack, Mrs. Claus peppermint foot lotion, Shout® wipes, beard grooming kit, battery-operated fan, chilled bottle of Dasani® water, free Auntie Anne’s Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel cards, Ricola® throat drops (for the ho, ho, ho-ing) and a roll of mint Certs®
“While Santas’ workload increases over the holiday season, we love every minute of our jobs,†said Santa Timothy Connaghan, executive director of AORBS. “We are delighted to receive the Santa Survival Kits filled with goodies to help us through this busy, yet exciting, time of year.â€
The following are additional mall Santa facts:
60 percent of real bearded Santas groom their beard up to four times each day
23 percent own four to six red suits to stay looking sharp for the holiday
Mall Santas are very well-hydrated men, with 45 percent drinking 5 to 10 glasses of water each day
Fresh breath is of top priority for 20 percent of Santas who eat four to six mints each day
52 percent of Santas believe girls are more shy than boys
When children come to visit Santa at the mall, over 75 percent believe they have been good all year long while only half of Santas believe they are telling the truth.
Representatives from Auntie Anne’s stores nationwide will distribute the Santa Survival Kits throughout the holiday season, making sure mall Santas are well equipped for this chaotic time of year.
For the complete survey results along with the top 10 list of strangest gift requests of mall Santas, please visit www.auntieannes.com.
About Auntie Anne’s
Auntie Anne’s, Inc. is a Pennsylvania-based franchisor that supports over 900 Auntie Anne’s Pretzels locations worldwide. The concept mixes, twists and bakes pretzels to golden brown perfection in full view of customers. Auntie Anne’s is committed to pretzel perfection by guaranteeing you will love its pretzels or they will replace it with one that you do. For more information, please visit www.auntieannes.com.
