I can't find the other thread I had on this, but I said I would follow it up.
Here is the reply I received from Bravissimo following my disappointing experience in one of their shops a couple of weeks ago.
Thanks to all of you who offered support.
Thanks very much for your email, and I am sorry it has taken a while to get back to you.
I am really sorry that you were asked to go in a fitting room when you wanted to feed your baby our shop in Oxford. It is certainly not company policy to prevent our customers from feeding their babies in our waiting areas and I had always assumed that all our staff would allow our customers to breastfeed their babies in the shop. Indeed, it had never occurred to me that anyone would be prevented from feeding their babies in our waiting area and so I have never had a formal policy on it, and this is obviously a mistake on my part. Following your email, I have talked at length to our Area Managers who, in turn have discussed it with the shop managers of all of our shops, as we are all concerned about the experience you have had. All our shop managers have confirmed that allow customers to breastfeed in the waiting areas if they want to, so I am afraid that the person that you spoke to must have made the decision on her own, thinking she was doing what was right. I must take responsibility for not having communicated a formal policy to the person that you spoke to, and I am really sorry about that. I can understand how annoying it must have been for you. I breastfed both of my babies anywhere and everywhere and I would have found it extraordinary and very irritating had I had been told that I could not feed my baby in a shop where I had just bought nursing bras. I am truly sorry that this is the experience that you received from us.
We obviously need to make sure that we communicate our views on breastfeeding more clearly to our staff and our Area Managers are writing and circulating guidelines to make sure that everyone understands that our customers are always allowed to breastfeed in our waiting areas should they wish to. Our shop managers will ensure that all their teams are aware of this, and I hope that in future no one else has the same experience that you had.
Thank you very much for bringing this to my attention, and thank you also for your kind words about Bravissimo. It is very generous of you to say positive things about your shopping experience with us under the circumstances. I hope that we will be able to give you a better service in all areas in the future.
With best wishes
Sarah Tremellen
Chief Executive and Founder of Bravissimo