“Any gender” changing room for women in Primark

[Womanwomanwoman1]

I joined a queue of women waiting for (I assumed) the changing room on the right with no sign on. The other sign on the left said “Any Gender” - I asked whether both changing rooms were open because of the queue. I was told that the one without the sign is the Men’s changing room, the women’s is signed “Any gender”.

Won’t be returning there again.

Odd. Each Primark I’ve been in has women, men and any gender.

The primark near me also has changing room split into 2, labelled 'women' and 'any gender'.
I noticed it last time I went and assumed it was a result of the media attention when women were harassed and filmed in the completely unisex changing rooms they implemented.

I noticed the same recently at my local primark I also thought it had been changed due to bad publicity. Maybe your store has made a mistake with signage

Simple question yet a complicated answer. Interesting.

Yes I think your right

Newly revamped toilets at a local shopping centre...

Must admit I did wonder why they didn't have the same signage at the entrance to the men's toilets.

Much easier now to buy the clothes... try on at home.. return any unwanted items..
Not many men use changing rooms anyhow. They just tend to grab and go.

All of the ones I’ve seen are both any gender but they still tend to direct men to one end and women to the other.

I would be really pissed off if it was men and then women/any gender.

If you want to be inclusive then that includes encroaching on male spaces too.

It’s getting ridiculous now.
Please take a photo and share.

Well done for complaining. I’d also ask them whether their insurers know they are breaking the law.

Did you inform the manager that they were breaking the law?

Does that not mean there is a unisex disabled toilet and baby change and ALSO women’s toilets in that direction?

That looks like a female toilet, and a unisex Changing Places toilet (hoist facility)

I'd have assumed the large brand name company that own the shopping centre knew the rules and had chosen to ignore.

Never seen a managers office in any shopping centre I've been too inorder to ask.

Are they breaking the law though?

I thought a private company could choose to have ‘any gender’ spaces if they want to.

But if they specify a single sex space then it should be single sex - with the law now clear that refers to biological sex.

But they can choose not to have single sex spaces without breaking the law.

OP, was it on the 'menswear' floor?

and out of interest, was it curtains or floor to ceiling doors? Because I remember complaining years ago about the fact they used to allow male people into the changing area being used by female people of all ages, ie. girls and women and they only had curtains. They told me they were following their policy that was 'inclusive' and that they would not be engaging in further discussion. I had told them I saw a male person using his phone (looking at the screen) sit down on a stool beside me directly in front of a woman getting changed who left a gap in the curtain. I sprung up and closed her curtain fully and complained to the staff who told me it was allowed and to write to management.

Over those intervening years a number of prosecutions have taken place where male people have been convicted for their actions in Primark changing rooms.

So, I would be interested to know if your store has doors or not.

what floor were you on? I’m not from there but it appears they have 3-4 floors? Could it be that women’s changing rooms were on a different floor?

Quoting myself but hey ho. The more I think about this - it just can’t have happened quite how OP describes.

Ideologies aside, it would physically make 0 sense if there was a men’s changing room on a floor with just female clothing.

OP must’ve been on a random floor if not the men’s floor.

The OP said "2nd floor. Primark Hanley".

And that floor guide is hopelessly confused - "Men Floor 1" shows an image of homewares, "Home Floor 2" shows an image relating to Beauty and "Beauty Floor 2" show an image of a male model. I wouldn't place any credence on it at all.

Customer complaints have replied to me twice already so I’m glad at least they have understood and seem to be taking it seriously.

The men’s floor was the next floor up. The floor I was on was underwear/nightwear, shoes, kids clothes.

What did Customer Complaints say?

Firstly apologised, and then asked for time, location, staff member details etc. Have said that an full investigation will be carried out and they will be in touch.

I will update the thread when I receive a response. Thank you all for your replies.

No, it's one for men and one for 'any gender', whatever that means.
If they provide a single-sex changing room for one sex (men here), don't they legally have to provide the same for the other sex (women)?

That’s what I thought, instead they’ve made both changing spaces for men with the terminology used.

Yes, but that’s likely on a different floor (perhaps the women’s?), not necessarily the floor OP said she was on (other mixed bits and bobs). Hence why I don’t think this is as scandalous as the title suggests

I don't think they can comply with the law on one floor and break it on another, can they? Or am I misunderstanding the law and/or these shop changing rooms?

The whole shop is one premises, they’re not separate entities on each floor. As long as one of each plus optional unisex is present, no law is broken. Do you feel there should be a mandatory women’s changing room on a men’s only floor, for example? That would be a complete waste of space for the retailer.