M&S + John Lewis - your poor Christmas sales will be due to the contempt you've shown your female customers

Same here, I'm not doing it to hurt them in that sense (I can't spend enough there to make a difference) but I can stop shopping there and feel better about myself, that I am not involved with a company that uses women to prop up men's fetishes.

Honestly not bothered what impact my choices have on M&S. What I'm talking about here is why I will no longer be using them, and putting that info where other women can see it. Because I was definitely glad that other women told me, and shared that information. Not planning to stop doing that because it might not have a big enough impact, or because it's not supposed to be 'nice' to be slagging off a shop doing things that as their customer I'm deeply unhappy with. Not sure why you see M&S as an angry group, unless you have inside information there?

Whether or not M&S are bright enough to realise the harm they're doing to their brand is their look out.

I dont think it has anything to do with mumsnet. The members here seem to think they make an impact on big things but in reality all this is is one angry group slagging off another angry group and getting a sense of power from other members of their angry group.

Both of these businesses have been struggling in line with the rest of the economy.

Yes, the underwear reviews from blokes on their website (Why the fuck they even allow them is a mystery) means I won’t buy anything other than boring multipacks that don’t appeal to men with fetishes

ahh but its not a fetish remember (thread deleted yesterday for even suggesting it might be in some cases, even though their are published papers on the topic), its a normal expression of their innate ladyness. Strange how they go for all the frilly, lacey, nylon ones which most women avoid as they give you thrush but leaves the nice, practical cotton multipacks that women actually wear uninterfered with at least.

It had never occurred to me before today how odd it is that on the M&S website there are sections for mens and women's clothing, and the men's underwear is within the men's section, but the women's underwear, designed to fit their anatomy, is in a whole section by itself called lingerie. A quick glance at the review section for thongs tells you why.

I’ve just spent £120 in Asda - school uniform, underwear and socks/tights. Would normally have ordered from M&S. Knickers looks really good and not expensive either
Curious, did you take a black light and check stuff? I'm not even joking when I admit I'm thinking of doing just this.

I’ve just spent £120 in Asda - school uniform, underwear and socks/tights. Would normally have ordered from M&S. Knickers looks really good and not expensive either.

An ad for a “revolutionary” bra popped up in my Instagram feed. This was the image that appeared. Clicking on the ad it was all women, so I’m confused as to the intended audience. Not John Lewis I know, but certainly women’s underwear.

I'm not sure I'd ever buy their women's underwear off the rack in store now though. Some things you just can't un-know

Yes, that was what finished me off. And the whole gleeful 'women don't go barefoot in the cubicles after me' stuff. There is nothing M&S could make that would be worth the revolting realities of their manky changing rooms and used undies to make their male customers 'comfortable'.

Buy from Bam online, I switched to them and their knickers are simple but feel lovely
So are they likely to have been tried on by males who leave calling cards as it were? Are they able to do this then return them? Because I'm not sure I want to take the risk. At the moment I would rather go commando than buy knickers. And I have stress incontinence so that's a really bad idea.

Buy from Bam online, I switched to them and their knickers are simple but feel lovely

Yes, the underwear reviews from blokes on their website (Why the fuck they even allow them is a mystery) means I won’t buy anything other than boring multipacks that don’t appeal to men with fetishes

I'm not sure I'd ever buy their women's underwear off the rack in store now though. Some things you just can't un-know

So much this, I suspect it's going to be cheap multi packs from supermarkets as I assume/hope they don't do it for those with a fetish. But bit pissed off that now I can afford nice undies I don't want to buy any unless they could be guaranteed untouched

I'm not sure I'd ever buy their women's underwear off the rack in store now though. Some things you just can't un-know
Yeuch
I wont buy underwear off the rack at any store ever again. Struggling cos I actually need new knickers. Probably a multipack that's not been obviously opened but its gross that I have to think this way and carefully check each pack to see if they've ever been tampered with. I mean I doubt Asda cheap 5 packs have been near a man, they go for shiny sparkly satiny things but who actually knows?

I'd go back to M&S if they reversed this policy and got rid of the gender marker on their online reviews for women's lingerie. I do like M&S for a lot of stuff - good quality basics for the family mainly.

Some of their houseware is lovely too - I like their sheets & duvet covers. We bought our lovely bed & mattress from there - over £1500. Along with many Mumsnetters here, I would have thought my family was M&S's core market - we have a fair bit of disposable income, and a large family to buy for - yet they've alienated me with this changing room policy, and their lack of consideration for women.

I'm not sure I'd ever buy their women's underwear off the rack in store now though. Some things you just can't un-know.

I’d go back if they reversed the policy and issued a statement. There were several items that I liked and haven’t found suitable replacements yet.

Many posters here are saying that even if policies are changed they won't be back.

I’m really missing their Autograph cotton rich opaque tights and haven’t (yet) been able to find a suitable alternative. If they have a rethink and apologise to their female customers, I’ll return for tights as a minimum. Otherwise, I’m eking out the ones I have in my drawer until spring. If that means wearing trousers to work a bit more than usual this winter, so be it.

I'm another who did not spend money in M&S this Christmas. I would generally spend £150 - £300 there on Christmas presents.

I also used to spend £100s over the year too - on clothing for Dh & I and 3 children - school uniform, coats for the kids, shirts for DH, pants, socks, underwear for me, pyjamas.

But unfortunately, I cannot erase from my brain the images of the males leaving reviews on women's underwear online, or the pictures on twitter of cross-dressers announcing that they "put the knickers back in the middle of the rail to hide the wet patch."

I'm not shopping where this is OK.

’ll reevaluate at such a time as they come out and clearly say that they got it wrong, and show a sincere understanding of how utterly contemptuous of women and girls they have been.

IYou would have thought though, that after the thing that women were concerned about actually happened then a rethink might be in order. But it appears not.

"Many posters here are saying that even if policies are changed they won't be back. I'm not sure what incentive shops have to change their policies on trans customers then really..."

Pour encourager les autres.

I’d be back if only to support a business not afraid to speak the truth.

Transsexuals who oppose self id/NB nonsense/no need to transition/no need for doctors or gate keeping are TRUSCUM

Anyone on mumsnet is just MUMSCUM

Just because

I’ll reevaluate at such a time as they come out and clearly say that they got it wrong, and show a sincere understanding of how utterly contemptuous of women and girls they have been. By that time I may well have found a range of better businesses to spend my money with.

I’d be back to m&S in a shot too. I used to do all the school uniform shop on there. I always bought the kids knickers and tights with it, possibly PJs too. DO twice a year I do a big order to see the kids through the season. It wasn’t so easy. Now I’m having to source from multiple shops and its a pain.

The M&S in my town closed this year, but I had already stopped shopping there. I usually buy a couple of dresses for work there each year, and used to shop for food items. The only one near me now is a food store, and I've stopped using that. I bought a couple of Maxmara and Reiss dresses off eBay for less than the cost of M&S.
I've never really shopped at John Lewis or Waitrose as there are none near, but I've stopped buying from them online. So in total these shops have lost hundreds of pounds from me in the past year.

I also doubt it was anything to do with that.