M&S + John Lewis - your poor Christmas sales will be due to the contempt you've shown your female customers

[Sunkisses]

It's all over the news that M&S and John Lewis have had terrible Christmas sales. I am absolutely sure this is due to the terrible press coverage they received and viral threads of Twitter about how they allow men into the female changing rooms, the contempt they treated their female customers with when we voiced our complaints, and the 1,000s of us who pledged not to shop with them over Christmas. I stuck by my pledge over Christmas and they lost about £1,000 of custom from me with gifts and food. Anyone else kept up their boycott?

[Lamahaha]

Yes, exactly. Not likely, but it is a possibility.

But the main thing is: many women were queuing, waiting. I didn't stick around to ask whether the male stalls were empty and if they obeyed the signs, but the very concept prioritises men. I have not seen this anywhere else, ever.

I didn't join the queue. I went upstairs in the same shopping centre and there I found a lovely, clean, women's loo with many stalls, some of which were empty.

[Catting]

www.dailymail.co.uk/money/markets/article-7975307/John-Lewis-cut-jobs-survive-challenging-period-history-new-boss-warns.html

Wow. Almost as if treating your target customer base as an afterthought isn't helping things!?

[Al1Langdownthecleghole]

The Times report of the same story was saying yesterday that Dame Sharon’s number one priority was to increase diversity amongst its staff. The article has since been updated and that particular paragraph removed.

There isn’t a lot of focus on customers.

[Lordfrontpaw]

It wasn’t exactly what we weren’t considering. I’m just a bit surprised they didn’t go the whole way iykwim for maximum inclusive points.

[Lordfrontpaw]

(I genuinely wish her well and hope that she is a sane and level head that the company needs).

[SunkissesBringBackLangCleg]

@SunsetBeetch that reply from M&S to the male who wanted to use the female changing rooms is chilling, as was this reply showing they want to discipline the poor member of staff who wants to protect women and girls: mobile.twitter.com/marksandspencer/status/1223529802231111680

These companies are so screwed. Are there any grown ups in these companies monitoring their social media? Are there any grown ups looking at Mumsnet? I'm assuming that social media/customer service work is all completely devolved to woke young millennials who are completely misrepresenting the public reaction to their bosses, blithely reassuring them all is well and it's nothing to worry about, and they're on the 'right side of history' and the law (they're not). And the grown ups are not paying the slightest attention, thinking the woke kids have got it covered

[SunkissesBringBackLangCleg]

@Al1Langdownthecleghole I looked at that Times article about the appointment of Dame Sharon White as CEO of John Lewis and it does still mention 'diversity': "She said that the mutual group would have to improve the diversity of its partners to reflect society better"

The Guardian say she told managers they need to “improve the diversity of the partners we are hiring”.

As you say, sounds like she is more interested in identity politics than good old fashioned customer service, and making sure her female customers - women and girls - feel respected and safe. We will see... I hope she doesn't find out the hard way that #GoWokeGoBroke. 1,000s of people's jobs are relying on her not to alienate the core female market