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M&S chief faces shopper revolt over £2 extra for bigger bras
Rosamund Urwin5 May 2009
Marks & Spencer chairman Sir Stuart Rose is set to have a face-to-face confrontation with campaigners over the store's surcharge on bigger bras.
Protesters have been lobbying the company to drop the extra £2 they charge on bras above a DD-cup.
Campaigners say the surcharge discriminates against well-endowed women. They argue that other items of clothing are the same price regardless of size.
M&S says bigger bras require more specialist work, and the additional charge is a result of extra support for larger cup sizes.
Now, a leaked email reveals M&S will not be changing its pricing policy, and one campaigner has bought a share in the company in order to face Sir Stuart at the next annual meeting in July.
The internal email, sent two weeks ago, insists the company will not bow to pressure.
Tania Littlehales, Mark & Spencer's head of product PR, wrote to a colleague: "We aren't changing prices, especially in this climate."
Beckie Williams, who co-founded Facebook group Busts 4 Justice, said: "We are very disappointed with their decision.
"Marks & Spencer is Britain's biggest lingerie seller so we want them to change their pricing for all the women affected.
"I still don't think they can justify this charge since many of their rivals charge the same price regardless of size." Miss Williams, a 26-year-old writer from Brighton, added: "They haven't listened to us as customers so now maybe they'll have to listen to us as shareholders."
Busts 4 Justice's 7,800 members have also criticised Marks & Spencer's bra-fitting services. Although the chain says it has retrained all its fitters in response, members say the retailer is still sizing women incorrectly.
Miss Williams said: "I wore the wrong-sized bra for a decade thanks to being badly fitted in M&S. To charge women extra and then not even put them in the right size is awful.
"People may joke about it, but bras are a sensitive subject for women and a well-fitted one can improve self-esteem."
June Kenton, the owner of Rigby & Peller, which makes lingerie for the Queen, said: "It can change a woman's life to wear the right size bra. Eighty-five per cent of women wear the wrong size, many of whom have been fitted incorrectly.
"Usually they are wearing a bra with too small a cup size and too large a back measurement."
M&S rival La Senza charges a uniform rate regardless of size. Lisa Bond, La Senza's marketing director, said: "We don't believe that you should discriminate against women because of the size of their chest."
Reader views (8)
No worries Stu dear, we will simply buy our bras at one of your numerous competitors.
- Felicity, london, 05/05/2009 22:03
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As much as I sympathise with Beckie Williams having to pay extra for large size bras at least she can find clothing to fit her in M&S. When I was shopping in their flag store Marble Arch on saturday there were no clothes in Per Una or Autograph under size 12. When asking an employee why there were no size 6-10 I was informed that head office although regularly informed by the store to include these with the larger sizes due to public requests fail to provide these sizes. I informed the assistant that M&S had lost another sale of at least four new items up to the value of £200 minimum. She apologised but again stressed that head office had been regularly informed by them but as to date choose to ignore. In the context of the article you published today I would however be prepared to pay a little more if it meant smaller sizes 6-10 were widely included in their collections along with colours rather than formally black or grey tailored suits.
- Gina, Oakley, Bedfordshire, 05/05/2009 21:05
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"Marks & Spencer's bra-fitting services"?
Why hasn't somebody told me about this job before! Somebody has boobed!
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 05/05/2009 15:02
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If all the bras are priced the same that means the smaller breasted women are going to have to subsidise the larger ones and how is that fair?
- Thalia, london UK, 05/05/2009 14:14
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Women with larger busts should be rewarded, not penalised.
- Keith, King's Cross, London, 05/05/2009 13:04
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Use plastic carrier bags instead of large bras.
- John, London, 05/05/2009 11:30
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Storm in a D-cup?
- Davidb, Brentford, London, 05/05/2009 10:46
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M & S need to keep abreast of the times.
They give without charge, free large heavy quality plastic shopping bags for items of clothing; but charge 5 pence each for thinner and smaller, poor quality bags for food.
So for larger heavy quality of bras over DD-cups; they charge an extra £2.
And for smaller lighter quality bras; they don’t charge any extra at all.
My advice to M & S shoppers is to buy your DD-cups in their food halls; you will get a free large bag that way, and your DD-s will be 5 pence cheaper; and you can then also put your food shopping in the larger free bag as well etc.
I use Sainsbury’s or Waitrose myself; they still give you shopping bags for free; and their clothes are all the same price as well.
- Mickyinlondon, london, 05/05/2009 10:33
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