Is anybody else's Boots putting up irritating signs by the infant formula?

[CorrieDale]

It's along the lines of: We're terribly sorry we can't offer you discounts on infant formula but these horrid regulations have made discounting illegal.

Is it a national thing or just my local branch? I have tried sabotage tactics when I see them, but wonder if there is anything else I can do.

[HunkOLantern]

They put them up in several stores locally, but then took them down again, mostly.

They made my teeth itch.

[fedupwasherwoman]

When I first started using formula I would have found it informative. It took me a while to work out that there was such legislation in place.

I am now aware of the general policy in this country of starving parents of information relating to formula feeding in the hope of raising the country's breastfeeding numbers.

Are the people who object to these signs people who breastfed ?

[lissiethevampireslayer]

whats so wrong with these signs? and why cant fm be discounted?
its nowhere near as cheap as bf-ing after all

[oliveoil]

not seen them but then I don't go in the baby aisles any more

[flowerybeanbag]

What's wrong with the signs? Boots and all the supermarkets usually have offers on everything under the sun regularly, but signs like this explain why formula never has offers and also draws people's attention to the fact that there are strict regulations with regard to the selling of formula. Maybe they were getting feedback from parents asking why there were never offers on it when there are always on nappies/wipes/everything else?
Can't see the problem myself in the scheme of things!

[Lorayn]

I'm surprised they havent found a way round discounting it tbh, like advertising 'follow-on-milk' with hardly a mention that it isnt from birth. Grrr [anrgy]

[peskipixie]

havent seen them but i dont thin kits necessarily a bad thing (unless they are actually saying horrid regulations). they might make people question the choice to buy formula if they know there are regulations (and therefore a reason behind them) and they know it will never be cheap

[Lorayn]

woopsy I meant

[flowerybeanbag]

They don't say 'horrid regulations' or anything. They are factual signs, and surely a focus on things which might make people more likely to formula feed would be a bit more constructive? I can't think anyone's going to be more likely to formula feed because of a sign explaining why there aren't offers on it. There are plenty of things wrong with formula, the way it's marketed and also plenty wrong with not enough support for breastfeeding but I don't think this is one of them!

[HunkOLantern]

It's the wording of them that I object to. They smack of "we think the law's shite and we would offer discounts because we're lovely, but we can't, sorry".

And there is A Lot wrong with discounting formula, but I've not got time to go into it now. Might I suggest this for more info though

And I've posted at great length about why formula advertising's damaging to bfing - if infant formula could be cut-price, bfing rates would drop through the floor because formula manufacturers would market it aggressively and target women with newborns with cut-price/free formula.

[baffledbb]

Why do you need to sabotage what is after all simply a sign providing information - not extolling the merits of formula milk over breast milk.

[ibroughtcake]

Fedup, I think you will find that it is in fact the formula companies who are not exactly forthcoming with information regarding their products.

It is not a huge conspiracy to force mothers to breastfeed, I happen to know tons of formula feeding mums who would love to know more about the milk they give their babies and have asked the formula advice lines for it to no avail.

[peskipixie]

was that directed at me hunk? i wasnt saying theres nothing wrong with discounting, i was saying theres nothing wrong with signs saying it will never be discounted as it points out that formula is not what the government says is best. i would imagine letting people know the powers that be disapprove of formula is a good thing (and i have bf and ff for different reasons before i am jumped on)

might be paranoid now after something i said on another thread went horribly wrong

[LadyVictoriaOfCake]

there used to be signs at safeway many years ago when i worked there (i left 6years ago) stating that you couldnt get ABC points or discounts on formula. it was also not included in staff discount.

[bossykate]

if i had my way they wouldn't be allowed to call it formula or follow on milk - they have to call it "breast milk substitute". in large letters.

[bossykate]

they'd

[flowerybeanbag]

Corriedale you obviously feel strongly about these signs if you are contemplating sabotage. What negative effect do you think they are having? That's a genuine question, I am interested.

[HunkOLantern]

Peskipixie, you'd not even posted when I started writing my reply! Mine was inspired by Lissie's post which asked why formula couldn't be discounted.

[HunkOLantern]

Bossykate, I think women would think it was breastmilk then. There are already a lot of women who have no idea it's derived from cows' milk.

[Lorayn]

Maybe 'fiddled with dried cows milk'

[HunkOLantern]

No, look, this isn't about formula bashing. I won't have it!

[peskipixie]

phew!

[paranoid]

[MerlinsBeard]

it is illegal to discount infant formula and some people don'tknow that.

What is your issue with the signs? its informative and saves the staff aswering the same questions every single day

[LadyVictoriaOfCake]

tbh when i was FF dd1+2 i didnt want to think about what formula was made from

[ibroughtcake]

Hunk, that is so true, my friend was ff for 4 mths before she realised it was cows milk and this is on joke, she thought they just made up fake breastmilk in a lab somewhere

That is the truth!