John Lewis

[sybilshade]

fallen
See twitter

This is terrible - I love John Lewis!

And when there's a conflict of customers' comfort - which customer's comfort gets to trump the other customer's?

Precisely.

I find this attitude of 'we'll deal with anything inappropriate' both naive and wholly disingenuous.
Women will end up hurt by this. Of this there is no doubt.

Once again they are totally missing the point* that for many women, the "changing room they feel most comfortable in" is ONE WITHOUT ANY MALE PEOPLE IN IT. If that doesn't exist, where are they meant to go?
*by which I mean, not giving a fuck

I find this attitude of 'we'll deal with anything inappropriate' both naive and wholly disingenuous

Well we all know just how famous women are for reporting shit. We do it alm the time. Police and staff are really really heavily invested. It's not like theres a protected characteristic missing from hate crime criteria is it...

So glad someone got a screen shot of the original tweets as they were deleted later on in the day. I emailed CEO and got this reply:

“Thank you for contacting our Managing Director about your concerns about our policy on changing rooms.

When developing any shop policy, we always consult with relevant stakeholders across the business and, where appropriate, outside of our business.

When it comes to putting policy into practice, as a co-owned business we ensure that all of our Partners understand their responsibilities and exercise their judgement appropriately.

As an inclusive business, our customers are welcome to use whichever fitting room makes them feel the most comfortable.

Regardless of specific policy, if any customer were to act inappropriately, the necessary action would be taken.”

Will be writing back again to say that they had not addressed my concerns and that there’s now no fitting room in which I and my daughters could feel comfortable and do they mind losing our custom for this reason.

Really, really disappointed by this.

They just need to have mixed changing rooms. There is no point in having men and women’s if anyone can use either.

What is this mysterious "necessary action" they all mention? I need to know to assess whether I should feel reassured.

This is why I shop online.

putting policy into practice, as a co-owned business we ensure that all of our Partners understand their responsibilities and exercise their judgement appropriately

So JL set policy, remind the ‘partners’ (the staff) that if they don’t uphold it they will fall foul of their responsibility (some total misrepresentation of the Equality Act) and tell them to crack on with implementation of this utterly shit unworkable policy on the shop floor. Nice.

I don't like the idea of mixed sex changing rooms, however, if retailers did go down that route, they may be forced to think about the consequences a little more. Curtains, for example, would be gone.

The vast majority of women and girls feel more “comfortable “ in a single sex changing space. Forcing teenage girls to have a bra fitting next to some middle aged man getting a stiffy trying on bras is not a good look for a supposedly family friendly retailer.
I am so angry .

Oh dear, #JohnLewis and #Waitrose have lost my custom and the many thousands of pounds my parents spend there annually.

You may be wondering 'why the hashtags?'. Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe that if there are enough mentions of one organisation on a forum the thread will be one of the top hits when #JohnLewis is searched for. I'm simply of the opinion that #JohnLewis's customers need to know what #JohnLewis are risking and #JohnLewis need to know the consequences of their disregard for women and girls.

I assume they have all been Stonewalled or something.
Would be interesting to see precisely which “stakeholders” they consulted, because it is crystal clear they didn’t talk to women .

What is this mysterious "necessary action" they all mention? I need to know to assess whether I should feel reassured.

I could do with knowing too. Then I could do it myself if I got harassed/abused/attacked right?

Is it a really really big tut?

@OldCrone I've just tweeted and asked that exact question.

the John Lewis near me has a transwoman as the attendant in the women's changing room, has for a while now. So I can't imagine there would be objections to anyone identifying in any way coming in to those changing rooms.

They do, however, have actual cubicles, not curtains, at least. But I don't think I'd be coming out to look in the mirror from further away, or to discuss the fit with someone else, or show a friend etc.

There will be a limited number of "stakeholders" - and you can guarantee that women or women's groups will not be amongst them. I bet they won't state which stakeholders they consulted with? Guaranteed it will be charities who offer rainbow glitter awards and expensive dinners rather than any organisations who work directly with victims of sexual abuse etc and have an insight into why women need single sex spaces

The rainbow-glitter-dinner-and-award gravy train of inclusion.

Those stakeholders

Absolutely.

I think we need to ask what their necessary action will be. Will we (women) be asked to leave if we don't like it (sadly like Girl Guides) or will their staff have to decide.
What is the threshold? Discomfort, embarrassment or will we have to be assaulted or subject to indecent exposure or other perving. Would indecent exposure even be considered offensive if the perpetrator said that they were just getting changed, like the other women...

Oh fucking hell. My dd(11) is going for her first bra fitting tomorrow, I deliberately chose JL ove M&S because of this. FFS

Another formerly trusted company that can fuck right off. I am done with this bullshit. I recently took DD for a first bra fitting at our wokey friend’s store and feel a bit sick about that now. She will not be going there or JL or Topshop. In fact online with free returns and let the retailer swallow those costs is the way to go.

Like many MNers the M and S boycott has pushed me to look for alternatives and I have found supermarkets really great and a hell of a lot cheaper for school uniforms and underwear.

I think that sadly JLs position means I need to reconsider my Waitrose love. The pp suggestion of shopping locally where possible is a good suggestion. As someone who is trying to reduce our family consumerism generally (for environmental and budgetary reasons) these boycotts are really helping me out. I’ve already ditched all the P and G brands for supermarket own brands too.

It’s so frustrating that these Woke idiots in the boardrooms can’t see the impact on their core customers. Or if they can, they don’t care. So I hope they enjoy their erasure as their brands fall by the wayside.

I just need to find a new source for larger lady (very tall and wide!) tights as M and S has been a staple for these. Any advice?

Oh ffs. I've just cut up my M&S card and sent it back with a letter telling them why, told them I won't be using any of their services again, and now I have to do the same for JL and Waitrose?
This is chilling.