The Range retail chain has faced backlash for a pair of weight-loss wall hangings that customers have described as sexist and body shaming.
The retailer has now discontinued the two plaques, one in the shape of a bikini and the other a wedding dress, which both featured slots to save £1 for every pound of weight the user loses – up to 40lb (18kg) on the bridal version.
The plaques were captioned “Countdown To My Bikini Body” and “Weight Loss Journey”, with the added line: “It could only take 10lb to drop a dress size.”
The Range, which owns 70 shops across the UK, described the bikini body plaque as “fun and unique” on its website, but customer Emma Conway saw things differently when she came across the items in store.
Conway, who is a digital creator, posted a picture of both plaques to Instagram, telling her followers: “It was just for women. To get a bikini body. And to fit in a smaller wedding dress... To put a sign in their houses which they would look at each day.”
She added: “I left the shop shaking. In 2022 a large chain is feeding into the narrative that women need to be smaller, to drop a dress size. To help them get ready to go to the beach. The motivation is not to get fit and healthy. But to shrink themselves. Remember ladies we need to be tiny.”
When she saw the items, Conway asked if there were any equivalents for men and was told there were not. Previous complaints about the items were made in 2021 and 2019, the BBC has reported.
The Plymouth based retailer said it was sorry for offending customers and had now removed the items from stock.
In a statement to the BBC, it said: “We appreciate that every ‘body’ is ‘bikini ready’ all the time, but some of our customers have found this a fun way to help them reach a goal.
“This product has, however, now been discontinued and we will not be stocking it again.”
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