Joules flying the trans flag

[ofwarren]

I've just seen this on twitter.

Seeing as though mumsnet are their target market, this is very foolish of them.

twitter.com/E8Emma/status/1583750937512144896?t=_ON-ZaQFS-TvpGxayfF2Xw&s=19

Compassion for people with dicks only, though.

It would say to me that the ladies changing room is open to anyone who says the want to use it. No questions asked.

Will you really though? Joules is a pretty distinctive look. If you're into gilets and printed wellies you probably shop there already, and there's only so many striped bretons and cheerful floral prints a person needs in their wardrobe.

I'd say their inadvertent 'stand for compassion' is hardly going to lead in an uptick in sales from existing customers, and it's definitely not going to draw the oh-so-edgy Black Pampers crowd, who so despise us middle aged mummies and our tragic style. And since there's any number of retailers all vying for our money, those who see 'misplaced virtue signalling' and 'pissing off core customers instead of 'stand for compassion' can easily go elsewhere. (Including eBay and Vinted, where Joules stuff is ten a penny.)

My guess is their 'stand for compassion' could be another nail in the coffin of an already struggling business. I doubt the warm glow of benevolence will be of much comfort to their shareholders.

Agree that Joules is now firmly aimed at the 45+/50+ demographic. Saw their stuff recently on a surprisingly downmarket shopping channel, aimed at the pensioner market, so times must be hard atm, and alienating your core shopper — 50+ women who REALLY aren’t into gender ideology — seems pretty dumb.

I used to buy their children’s clothes for DD when they were still really nice quality and worth the prices. Not so much any more — the quality and design has slipped and they no longer seem up there with the Boden classes (except for those stores in posh summer holiday locations like Southwold). Mind you, your genuine poshos aren’t much into gender ideology either; so there’s another set of customers you don’t really want to piss off.

I’ve lost track did Joules double down on displaying a flag likely to be viewed as intimidating to attendees to a feminist conference after removing it? I like a printed wellie and need a new pair so wondering whether its back to Joules or do I have to find somewhere else

Agree that Joules is now firmly aimed at the 45+/50+ demographic. Saw their stuff recently on a surprisingly downmarket shopping channel, aimed at the pensioner market, so times must be hard atm, and alienating your core shopper — 50+ women who REALLY aren’t into gender ideology —
Again with people on here thinking they speak for all women and trying to make it come across as so.
45-50 year old women aren't all "gender critical".
Many will be, many won't be.
You certainly don't speak for me.

Ooh! Touched a nerve? I mean, I don’t buy Joules, but my mum (70) does. She had a lot of friends, all between approx. 60-80. And I haven’t as yet heard a single one of them being for gender ideology; eager the reverse. But yay for the fashionable ladies who are, like you! 👍

*rather

I would put a good bit of money on more of them being gender critical than being TRAs, though.

I had never heard of Jules till wandering around their Edinburgh store. Almost bought something and made a mental note to look out for them in future.

Sorry no. FatFace please don't let me down. I have already given up on M&S and John Lewis. I need somewhere where I can buy clothes without feeling I am funding misogynists.

Ooh! Touched a nerve?
No, not at all, why would it? Just saying it doesn't speak for everyone, it was a big generalisation.

They swept the matter under the carpet.

Male supremacism is certainly a point of view. Yes.

Well, that was one of the quickest 'go woke, go broke' effects in action I've ever seen ...

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-63620832

'UK clothing and homeware group Joules has said it plans to appoint administrators in a move that could put about 1,600 jobs at risk.'

Oh no, now ToGanymedeandTitan will have to go back to John Lewis and M&S.

Come on now, the reason they've gone into administration has bugger all to do with this. Let's not be daft.

No, it's not perhaps the main reason they've gone bust but it is a delicious irony that their support for the GI cause and flying of their flag didn't and never has translated into the people they did it for actually supporting them by spending copious amounts of money with them.

I'm not really sure it is delicious that 1,600 people might be about to lose their jobs right before Christmas and in a cost of living crisis with winter looming.

Agree that's not good and I do feel for the employees most of whom will no doubt be women.

Yup

its very sad, retail sucks at the moment and a recession isn’t going to help

My comment was entirely tongue in cheek.

Apologies. Sometimes it's hard to tell on here...!

The only inference I might draw is that organisations that are not functioning well are sometimes more susceptible to poor decision making.

I think it does underline yet again how bad a decision it is for companies whose market is pretty much exclusively with middle-aged women (of whom I count myself one!) to dabble in the political fad pet causes of young employees and interns.

If your business model relies pretty much exclusively on selling to women aged 35-70, then you need to be looking sharpish at what that market wants out of your products first and foremost (snag tights, modibodi, etc., I’m looking at you too).