An ad seen in many Argos shops across the UK has sparked some serious debate amongst customers. The ad, which advertises ‘two-man delivery’, is now being scrapped in favour of one with more inclusive language following a string of complaints about sexism.
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Although Argos previously defended their wording in the ad, ‘two-man’ will be replaced with ‘two-people’, says The Sun.
Mixed Reviews
The Sun, however, also reported that it was ‘woke customers’ who pushed for the change. They seem to have borrowed the term from Tory MP Nigel Mills, who tweeted:
Surely there’s bigger things in the world right now to be worrying about. It’s woke madness.
Other customers felt strongly that the language was not inclusive of all individuals. According to Leicestershire Live, one customer said:
I noticed in one of your stores your ad was sexist – 2 man delivery. Hopefully moving forward you’ll change this to 2 person delivery
Another agreed, calling the phrase ‘insensitive’:
Can you explain why you put up a ‘2 Man Delivery’ sign in your brand new Lewisham shop? Do you only hire men to deliver heavy goods? It’s a very outdated and insensitive phrase.
Argos explained that the term ‘two-man’ was intended to be gender-neutral, as in ‘two-human’. However, the chain also updated their language in order to better ‘reflect the diverse communities [they] serve and colleagues [they] work with.’
Inclusivity proves important to Brits
Inclusivity appears to be of growing importance to people residing in the UK. Earlier this year, Boots and Asdachanged their ‘feminine hygiene and care’ aisles to say ‘period products’ in order to include all individuals who menstruate.
University of Kent Sociology Professor, Frank Furedi, agrees that ‘pressure on companies to normalise gender neutrality’ is growing.
We can expect to see Argos’ new signage in shops ‘soon’, according to The Sun.
Read more:
⋙ Edinburgh University creates trans-inclusive guidance for staff to follow
⋙ Love Island introduces ‘inclusion training’ ahead of new season
