Very few people wearing poppies this year?

[YippieKayakOtherBuckets]

Anyone else noticed this?

I was in some very busy parts of London today and saw maybe half a dozen people wearing poppies in total. I’m watching Question Time now; the panel are all wearing poppies (the Plaid Cymru representative is wearing a red and a white poppy side-by-side) and at a glance I’d say less than a quarter of people are wearing them.

Is this primarily because of Gaza or did the trend start a while ago? Are people who used to wear poppies now choosing not to? I know this probably sounds very journalisty but I’m not, I promise. I’m really struck by what feels like a dramatic cultural shift in the last ten years or so.

Does it matter?

I can't speak for everyone, but I never carry change anymore. I pay for everything on my card but you need coins for the poppy appeal. If I had coins id buy one.

I think any large scale change in behaviour or norms is interesting, @XenoBitch.

I don’t donate nor wear a poppy. I never have really.

Many, if not most, sellers have mobile card readers these days

I was in London today and saw loads of people wearing poppies.
what's it got to do with Gaza?

I've passed them but can't buy one as I don't have loose change. They need to get with the times.

I bought two today. X

Not round here. The only places I've seen them are on tills in shops and you need a coin for the donation.

Agree, its the loose change problem. Never have any.

May I ask whereabouts? I think I saw three at rush hour in Euston, by which time I was actively looking as I had noticed a trend. A friend who works in Westminster said that she still sees lots there.

I was in London today but my poppy was on my other coat, and I didn’t see any sellers 🤷🏻‍♀️

Personally it’s a bit of poppy overload. Huge displays in community spaces, glittery ones, knitted ones, handmade ones, coloured in ones. The wearing of one feels like it has lost a bit of meaning when there are poppies everywhere for weeks.

That and I don’t think I’ve actually seen anywhere selling them out and about. I’m rarely in physical shops these days, and haven’t noticed any in other places.

Such a useful and insightful post, what a great contribution.

I saw the large poppy installation at King’s Cross last week and a prominent stall selling them, but there was nothing at Euston today. I wasn’t there until 5pm however so perhaps they had packed up for the day.

50 and never ever worn one. Nor has anyone I know

They've been taking card payments by tapping for about 3 years now, plus Google and Apple Pay. Not every single collector, but it should be happening at the larger stands and in the busier locations

When I bought one last weekend they only seemed to have a card reader, although I would have preferred to use change.

to be honest I don’t really make a point of going around counting who is wearing them - it must have been a conscious decision for you to check?

Thanks. Your post was just as insightful. A post about a post.
Does it matter who is wearing poppies? This sort of thread pops up every year, and descends into stuff like not "respecting" the dead for not wearing a bit of paper/plastic.
There are already a few threads on MN about it already, with heated discussion and a lot of deleted comments.

DH commented the same this week. I’ve never worn one personally but also don’t get out much these days to notice if others are!

Poppies being worn by everyone here. Giant poppies on lamp posts throughout the town.

Funnily enough I texted the same to my hubby as I was on the train to Euston this morning. In my coach I couldn't see anyone else wearing one.

I ordered mine online, but then used my card to pay last week at Euston as I didn't want to walk past.

Wonder if it's a sign of the times.

I've bought 3 and I keep losing them.

definitely fewer sellers around this year.
Also the lack of people using cash.

They have been very difficult to find over the last few years.

10 years ago, and going back decades, every shop, bank, school, post office, church, community hall, leisure centre etc would have a box on the counter and you could pick them up anywhere. Then you'd have people collecting at busy points in High Streets and supermarkets, whereas last year, when I specifically scoured the High Street to buy one, I couldn't find one anywhere. I've not specifically gone on a hunt yet, but I haven't seen any anywhere so far this year.

Plus, of course, lots of people don't carry cash anymore.

Perhaps you could point me in the right direction. I checked the first few pages of Chat and AIBU before posting as tiresome duplicate threads are one of my MN pet hates.