John Lewis tells customers to use whichever fitting room ‘makes them feel most comfortable’

John Lewis has fuelled a gender-neutral row after telling customers they can use ‘whichever fitting room makes them feel most comfortable’. 

Feminist campaigner Jean Hatchet from Sheffield, asked the department store to clarify its position on gender-neutral changing rooms across its branches.  

The 53-year-old tweeted yesterday: ‘Finally heard from John Lewis. They will let men in female changing rooms. That’s that. No debate. Why do all these stores hate women?’ 

She later responded with the reply from John Lewis stating: ‘Dear @jlandpartners which changing room do you think a rapist of women would feel “most comfortable in”?

Alongside the tweet she posted the email response from John Lewis which stated: ‘As an inclusive business, our policy states that customers are welcome to use whichever fitting room makes them feel most comfortable. 

John Lewis stated: ‘As an inclusive business, our policy states that customers are welcome to use whichever fitting room makes them feel most comfortable’ 

Jean Hatchet tweeted alongside the email from John Lewis detailing their fitting room policy 

The email received by Jean Hatchet from John Lewis 

‘As a co-owned business, we empower our partners to use their own judgement on how this policy should be applied on a case-by-case basis. 

‘Regardless of specific policy, if any customer were to act inappropriately, the necessary action would be taken.’ 

Twitter users were quick to condemn the stance taken by John Lewis and claimed they would ‘boycott’ the store. 

Gill from West Yorkshire commented: ‘And what about the women and girls who’d like to use the changing room that makes them feel most comfortable? You know – the one without any males in it?’

A woman from Essex commented: ‘Another shop I will be boycotting. I will also be closing my online account and returning my loyalty card.’  

It comes after Ms Hatchet complained earlier this month that a man had entered the women’s cubicle area at an M&S store in Yorkshire during a teenage girl’s bra fitting.

She tweeted: Cubicle or no cubicle. Curtain or no curtain. Open space changing or not.

Twitter users commented on the response by John Lewis and said the policy is ‘excluding women’ 

‘Men should not have access to any of these female spaces alongside women. @marksandspencer please clarify your policy on female changing rooms.’

A spokeswoman for John Lewis said the policy had been in place ‘for a number of years’ and is ‘not a recent change’.  

She added: ‘As an inclusive business, our customers are welcome to use whichever fitting room makes them feel the most comfortable.

‘When developing any shop policy, we always consult with relevant stakeholders across the business and, where appropriate, outside of our business.

John Lewis said: ‘Regardless of specific policy, if any customer were to act inappropriately, the necessary action would be taken’ (file image) 

‘When it comes to putting policy into practice, as a co-owned business we ensure that all of our Partners understand their responsibilities and exercise their judgment appropriately. 

‘Regardless of specific policy, if any customer were to act inappropriately, the necessary action would be taken.’