Matalan changing rooms.

[TotalShash]

So, my local Matalan has gone 'unisex' in their changing rooms, and this will be company policy in all stores when they get 'refreshed'.

Doors are not floor to ceiling, and the whole 'changing village' is behind a heavy fire door, so, whole changing area is in another section of the store. I don't think I could summons help if I were attacked. The area is unstaffed.

Men will have unfettered access to changing rooms they know women will use, meaning I will now have the hidden camera paranoia to deal with, not to mention voyeurism and phone pests.

I asked about single sex changing, there was none, but the lady seemed sympathetic to a woman wanting to try on bras needing actual privacy, and showed me the mother and baby room with full length doors, but this isn't a solution in the long run.

I'm going to follow up my in-store complaint, nothing will change, but at least I tried.

And the high street stores wonder why no one is using them any more and why we prefer to order clothes to try on in our own home.

Wow. Just called up, told to email them and was then hung up on

I'm going to go into my local matalan asap and check. If they have done the same, i'll be following you with a letter.

By the by I was in a large M&S recently. I managed to end up nearest the changing rooms in the menswear bit. Assistant didn't bat an eyelid, welcomed me in.

I noticed the walls were stupid high - not quite to the ceiling but you'd need to be Inspector Gadget to look/reach over them. Also solid doors and call buttons for assistance.

It was late at night so very quiet. The assistant didn't leave her post at the entrance, I could hear her bimbling around, so if anything happened I could have shouted and she'd be there in a second.

I can see "changing rooms" becoming one of those factors that gets rated for retail outlets.

Security
Privacy
Sex segregated
Solid doors
Staff always available
etc
etc

The door shut behind me when I first went in, and it was suddenly so quiet; those doors cut out the whole hustle and bustle of the store. If I were brave , I'd do a screaming test to see how quickly (or at all) help came.
Might get me banned though. And, I really love matalan

oooh, idea...

Take a local journo with you and show the danger/do the scream test.

That'll get them fired up.

Wow. Just called up, told to email them and was then hung up on

Goodness, that is rude.

CallMeSirShotsFired

I can see "changing rooms" becoming one of those factors that gets rated for retail outlets.

Now, that is a good idea. Perhaps a thread on changing rooms? With ratings for all those things? That would be handy

If only ManFriday hadn't disbanded.....this sounds like a job for their brand of crazy activism.
If anyone has any ideas for complaint email contents, I'd be much obliged. It'll take me days of tweaking, I'm terrible at formal stuff

high street stores wonder why no one is using them any more

This

It’s the unstaffed part that would bother me.

Places like American Eagle and Old Navy (most of those I have been to at least) for example have “shared changing areas” without floor to ceiling doors, but the sales clerks have to “let you in” a room via key (after knocking and to check it is empty), there is always one or two sales clerks bustling around, knocking on doors, asking if you need any thing else.

Omg oxytocin, maybe like a hygiene rating sticker, but for single sex or at the very least, safe unisex changing. I feel a logo coming on.....

Feministcat, I agree that the unstaffed aspect was weird. I might just start asking for a female staff member to chaperone me next time, if we did this in all unisex changing areas, maybe they'd stop bloody making them!

(I'd also make her sing so I knew she was still outside my cubicle )

TotalShash

Yes! How do we go about doing that?!

oxy....I have no idea! Might shelve my logo in favour of actual research 😅 (but then, logo!)

Total and any one else, direct ManFriday action is, in this case, easy.
Visit your local Matalan like the OP, take some photos of the lack of privacy (obviously not of innocent members of the public), complain to the shop, to head office and post pictures on Twitter and their Facebook page.
There are a lot of women on here, we can make a lot of noise!

I really like the idea of a changing room marking system- needs a bit of thought.

If anyone is near Riverside retail park in Norwich, they'd probably get some good photos in the Matalan there. Alas, I didn't have my phone to hand. And am back home miles away.

I'm thinking that maybe the chaperone idea could be turned into a sticker on door thing?

So, if shops agree to it, they'd be given a 'Don't change alone, take a chaperone' sticker to acknowledge their willingness to help women feel safe where unisex changing is all that's available.
It could go on the changing village door?

Yes I will give it a think.

Maybe a simple system, a thread started to collate all the photos, with everyone marking them 1-5 in terms of safety, privacy, staff attendance, design of doors.

What are the categories people think we should mark them on?

1. Sex segregated

What next?

When you contact them, point out your concerns, and email their insurers too. Ask if the injuries are aware of and in agreement with the increased risk posed by secluded, mixed sex changing rooms.

Quality of door/lock/ curtain.

Attended or not

Size, position of mirrors - do you have to stand on the corridor to look at yourself?

Injuries? Insurers!

really like the idea of a changing room marking system- needs a bit of thought
Me too. Also the scream check. Seriously though it does my head in in my local m and s when im waiting in the changing room queue with an arm full of bras etc and theres some bloke in the queue right behind me. Now hes probably as embarassed as me (each time this has happened its seems so) but thats not the point.

Thanks bowl, I'm going to try and get some facts together, I get the feeling I'll be emailing someone a man who's never even thought about women's needs, let alone the depth of issues that arise from letting men into women's spaces.

And cleanliness.
I've been in some changing rooms that are unisex. Floor to ceiling walls and doors. Visible attendant. But you don't want to use the room as it's really grimy.

At the moment the Matalan here only has curtains and very rarely a member of staff. Same with M&S.