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Our Letter and
E-Mail
To Sam Duncan (President) and Ross Thomas (Sls
& Mktg)
There are several products that your stores
carry that are of questionable taste. And, I'm sure
if the gender's were reversed, you wouldn't have
carried them in the first place. However, because
of the cultural atmosphere that wants to degrade
young men, they often slip by the buyer's
radar.
The products are produced by David & Goliath
and I'm sure, if you simply went to their web site,
(www.davidandgoliathtees.com) you would see what
their attitude is towards boys and men.
The products Fred Meyer carries are as
follows:
Ex-Boy Friend Sour Apple Lip Jelly. "Now that
you're single, Get out and mingle. He was a jerk
anyway." 7 67014 34043 9
Boy Girl Lip Jelly "Keep your lips greasy like a
boy!" 7 67014 33973 0
Boys are Smelly Bath Pillow 7 67014 34646 1
Boys are Smelly Shower Gel and Body Lotion in a
packet with 4 other products
Other retailers who carried similar products
from David & Goliath (400 Border's outlets,
3,000 Claires Stores, Inc.) have recently removed
them from their shelves and have directed their
buyers not to order similar products. We would like
to see Fred Meyer follow suit and be able to tell
those who visit our web site of your positive
response. (We get over 60,000 hits a day). Please
let us know of your decision.
Yours in continued growth,
Gordon Clay, Executive Director
The National Men's Resource Center
If you would like to contact Fred Meyer and let
them know what you think, here are several options.
E-mail through their web site and filling out their
Customer Comments form at fredmeyer.com/customercomments.htm
or a call to 800.858.9202 or 503.232.8844 or a
letter to Sam Duncan (President) and/or Ross Thomas
(Sls & Mktg) at PO Box 42121,
Portland, OR 97242-0121. Their corporate
office is located at 3800 SE 22nd Avenue in
Portland, OR.
Their Response
June 17, 2004
Dear Mr. Clay:
Thank you for your recent note to Mr. Ross
Thomas regarding products by David
& Goliath that are sold in our stores.
Over the years, we have
learned to depend on our Customers' buying habits
to determine whether a particular product is
something they're glad we carry or something they
wish we didn't. If an item doesn't perform well, it
is quickly put on clearance and not replenished -
the Customer has spoken.
We're sorry these products are offensive to you.
We respect your viewpoint and appreciate you
sharing it with us.
Sincerely,
Ann Plummer
Sales Promotion and Marketing
503.797.3480
ann.plummer@fredmeyer.com
What We Think They
are Really Saying
June 21, 2004
Dear Ms. Plummer:
Thank you for your letter. We surmise that what
you are really saying is: "We don't really
encourage or guide our buyers towards inoffensive
products - whatever we can unload on our customers,
that's good enough for us." So, we assume that if
you had a male buyer on staff who thought that
adolescent boys would really buy a lot of T-shirts
that said things like: Girls are Smelly or
Don't throw the ball like a girl or Girls stink or
Girls are Dumb at Math, we would see those products
on your shelves for Back-to-School?
And, in addition, you would reply to a complaint
by a woman who heads a national women's
organization or a complaint
from Bitch
magazine,
or Bust
magazine or Ms.
magazine with basically the same letter you sent
us?
If that's the case, you might consider carrying
some other products we find offensive. Check out
Rotten
Cotton and It's
Happy Bunny
products, Flatline
stickers and Future
Wife Beater T-shirts. We know there is a
market for them and FredMeyer could really provide
the additional market nitch and distribution they
are looking for.
Gordon Clay
The National Men's Resource Center
Related Actions: Items from David
& Goliath and
It's
Happy Bunny and sold at
Claire's,
Border's
Books and Fred
Meyer plus Rotten
Cotton and Future
Wife Beater T-shirts and
Flatline
stickers
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