An odd absence: a clothing retailer with only a crypto-Christmas display on December 1st.

I was in midtown Manhattan yesterday and went to the NY Times building, walking through the lobby. The company has no Christmas or Hanukah decorations of any kind.
Now the ground floor of the Times building has 2 restaurants and a Japanese-owned clothing store. Of the restaurants, only Dean and DeLucca has some poinsettias on display, giving it a Christmas atmosphere.

What is interesting is the clothing store, MUJI, has no Christmas displays. Who ever heard of a New York clothing store in December -- that wants to make money -- not having a Christmas display for their best sales time of year? Even MUJI's website has a "Christmas 2009" display all over their homepage. I understand that in Japan they make a big deal out of non-religious Christmas displays (Santa, trees, etc.).

Did the NY Times pressure them to not have a Christmas display? There's no way to know, but this Christmas-free zone at a retailer is odd. They have one forlorn red and green sweater on two adjoining chest dummies sitting on display as a crypto-Christmas indicator.