Argos has come under fire on social media from customers who noticed 'sexist' phrasing in some of their adverts for heavy deliveries. People took to Twitter to complain about the use of the words 'two-man delivery' on signs in stores and in the pages of their catalogues.
One person posted: "I noticed in one of your stores your ad was sexist – two-man delivery. Hopefully moving forward you’ll change this to two-person delivery." Another said: "Can you explain why you put up a ‘two 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 It’s a very outdated and insensitive phrase."
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Someone else wrote: "Two MAN delivery really @Argos this poster shocked me at the weekend - not very inclusive language. Outdated phrase in this day & age. I’m sure the Argos workforce is made up of so many fabulous individuals…not only men…but women & non-binary?"
As reported by Birmingham Live, the retail giant has since responded to these complaints saying they have removed the phrase, swapping it for the more gender-neutral term 'people' instead.
Argos has previously defended their use of the word 'man', claiming it was used as a non-gendered term, such as 'human' and explained they had many female delivery drivers. However, the company have now updated the wording to be more 'diverse'.
Argos told The Sun : "We updated our wording earlier this year to ensure we reflect the diverse communities we serve and colleagues we work with."
On its website, the high street chain has a helpful Q&A for customers which confirms the use of 'two people delivery'.
In the FAQ section, one customer asks: "Do you use two people for the delivery for large items?" The chain then replies: "Yes, we do. For bigger items (things like sofas, freezers etc.) our friendly drivers will contact you on the day of delivery with an estimated delivery slot, and they’ll safely take your order to your room of choice.
"Please note, delivery prices may change but you’ll be able to see any delivery charges before you pay at the checkout."
However, not everyone was happy about the change of phrase.
Conservative MP Nigel Mills branded it "woke madness", saying: "Surely there’s bigger things in the world right now to be worrying about. It’s woke madness."
What do you think of the decision? Let us know in the comments below.
