Argos introduces UK-wide ban on 'sexist' phrase following customer complaints
High street giant Argos has introduced a UK-wide ban on a common phrase it uses after customers raised concerns over sexism.
The term “two-man delivery” has been dropped by the catalogue retail giant and instead replaced with “people”. The move comes after a flurry of complaints were directed towards Argos on social media from consumers.
One 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 said: “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 It’s a very outdated and insensitive phrase.”
READ MORE: Inside Manchester's business boom where there's 'so much exciting stuff going on'
Meanwhile, a further customer posted: ““2 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 Outdated phrase in this day & age.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? #DiversityandInclusion”.
In a statement, Argos said it had changed the term earlier this year to better reflect its communities and colleagues, Birmingham Live reported.
An Argos spokesperson said: “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. In the FAQ, one customer asks: " Do you use 2 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