There could be a Santa shortage this year potentially leaving shopping malls bare and xmas wish lists unread - especially in Auckland.
"We really are looking for 20 more Santas to fill some of the shopping centres," Scene to Believe head Christmas character recruiter Viviana Diaz told Checkpoint.
There were main two reasons for the shortage, Diaz said - demand has shot up and a lot of people have had to go back to working full time.
How much does a mall Santa get paid? Diaz said that depends on someone's experience and whether their beard is real.
"Having a real beard, it really takes a lot of effort and time and money to maintain that one for the whole year.
"We value experience and we value personality and maybe that's also why we have a shortage because some people think that to be a Santa you have to have a real beard or you have to have a certain shape... it's more about the personality and how you engage with people."
Santa also needed to be happy, jolly and love to work with children, she said.
And once you get the job you get sent to Santa school, to learn how to perform and work with different personalities.
"How to even practice their 'Ho Ho Hos'."
You might not think it, but there are different 'Ho Ho Hos' for different occasions, Diaz said.
If you think you're not quite up for the role of Santa, Diaz said her team were also looking for photographers and greeters.
"We call them elves but they are really working as a photographer," she said.
