Fed up of businesses aligning themselves with politics!

[thehorsehasnowbolted]

I was about to grab a turkey and cranberry sandwich yesterday at a major retailer when I noticed on the package that 5% of that purchase would go to Shelter.

Why are we being increasingly forced nowadays to contribute to causes we may not necessarily agree with in this way? Why don't businesses stick to selling goods? Why the constant virtue signalling? It's annoying

I do not intend to comment on this charity in particular, but I have seen my fair share of pensioners being out of pocket to evict problem tenants who were in a position to pay the rent and look after properties but simply didn't want to and just played the system.

The results of charities activities are not always 100% positive, so customers shouldn't be forced to contribute in this way.

Why do businesses assume that their customers agree with the charities they pick? The constant virtue signalling is patronising and insulting.

It's a shame because they are a quality retailer, they don't need agree to all this nonsense and risk going down the pan

Fear not! I'm not a regular customer there, but I shall go out and buy one of their Shelter sandwiches in order to make up the retail turnover contribution you've decided against making. Shares will not plummet! EBITDA will be maintained! The company will make it to the end of the financial year and no pans will be gone down!

Yes, losing your custom is a crisis, but it's survivable! Soon they'll be basking on the sunny uplands of post-thehorsehasnowbolted prosperity.

@WalkingOnTheCracks not to mention that retailers who depend on the typical - ahem - older customer also need to broaden their demographic and adapt to change:

• Old people don't live forever
• The people who age into their demographic are likely to have very different needs and expectations.

I am also an older customer who falls into the M&S demographic and as I am planning some Christmas shopping, I know where my sandwich is going to come from. So all will be well.

Old people don't live forever

Well, much to your dismay, these 'old people' are not yet dead and have substantial disposable income. Ditto the young generation from different cultures who do not appreciate all of this

Ditto the young generation from different cultures who do not appreciate all of this

...who are they, exactly?

Ditto the young generation from different cultures who do not appreciate all of this

And again - evidence? I know a lot of younger people from different cultures and they are nowhere near as set in stone as you want them to be.

Breaking news - M&S brought to its knees by turkey-gate 😮

😂

As I said not their target customer, if that's the first time you have bought a turkey sandwich, otherwise you would have realised this isn't a new thing for them. They have donated to shelter for years.

I doubt they are worried about losing your custom on that line.

And on that point, they have some rather nice Christmas cards for sale:

Shelter Christmas cards

I particularly like the Moonlit Stag one.

not to mention that retailers who depend on the typical - ahem - older customer also need to broaden their demographic and adapt to change

A different point but I think most advertising is targeted at the under 30s*. You'd think the rest of us had no money to spend.

*Unless you watch things like Secrets of the London Underground on Yesterday or Quest and see the ads for the over 50s dating app.

No, seriously, @thehorsehasnowbolted , who are they?

Uh, you wouldn't know them, they go to a different school...

…now that’s funny.

Young person here with substantial disposable income.

Don't worry, I'll start buying sandwiches there. Maybe even everyday, just to donate to someone else.

Problem solved. The revenue improves, and one whiny customer gone. Perfect.

😂😂

They might as well close down the whole operation now. Funnily enough OP gave them so much extra free advertising right here... I do quite fancy a festive sandwich now.

I haven't been into Paperchase since they ran some sort of ad declaring 'We know our customers wouldn't be seen reading the Daily Mail..." - can't remember the context or the point of it.

Now, I can't bear the DM - make no mistake. But it made me really cross that they felt they could just make that assumption in such a smug, self-satisfied way. " Don't tell me what to think", I thought! They made themselves sound about 17.

I've always been contrary though, and tend to be resistant to any group/organisation which assumes it knows what I think.

I haven't been into Paperchase since they ran some sort of ad declaring 'We know our customers wouldn't be seen reading the Daily Mail...

WTF? I missed that one. Very annoying indeed

@CulturePigeon chances are though that this slogan would have had the opposite effect on a lot of customers. It certainly would have on me. Mind you, I like Paperchase anyway - it's where we got our hammerhead shark Christmas tree ornament for shark obsessed teenager.

It certainly would have on me

You are not the centre of the universe. Maybe give the navel gazing a rest pointy 🙄

Maybe you were busy reading the daily mail at the time?

Pot. Kettle. The point I am making is that your dislike of charity affiliations isn't going to make M&S change their marketing, and @CulturePigeon 's dislike of what Paperchase did isn't going to make them change anything either - because for every one of you, there's at least one of me. None of us are the centre of the universe, we are all just part of the mass of data that retailers use. And I'm fine with that. Are you?

because for every one of you, there's at least one of me

Making assumptions again?

Nope, no assumptions. Same old arguments about retailers not doing this unless it makes them money. It isn't my problem that you don't want to believe in common sense. It's all about the money. Always has been, always will be.

It's all about the money. Always has been, always will be.

Indeed. But the money will dry up once they have managed to recklessly incense a large enough number of people. Granted, it will take a lot more than 'turkey-gate', but it will happen

Most of these are trusted, reliable and well-regarded British brands. It's almost as if there was a concerted effort to bring them down.

Well, that's not conspiracy theory thinking at all, is it?

You just can't accept that the world has changed and that retailers do this because it benefits them. You've been presented with reams of expertise on this thread and offered no evidence in return, just a Daily Mail opinion piece.

Any proof that it will happen? Or are you just making assumptions again?