A fertility advocate says supermarkets can do better after going to find period products and discovering they'd been placed in the baby aisle.
Mum Natalie Silverman, the founder of the Fertility Podcast, posted an image on social media about her trip to Sainsbury's and asked them to rethink their product placement. The photo shows the signage for the aisle with Period Care over Baby Milk, to demonstrate this is clearly a permanent fixture in the store in Sale, Greater Manchester.
She posted: "Just been to Sainsbury's to find period products and after a hunt I found them in the baby aisle. In case you need another reminder this month!! Dear powers that be - please rethink your product placement."
Speaking to the Mirror, Natalie, who co-founded Fertility Matters at Work, a not-for-profit organisation helping employers and employees, said: "I think the biggest thing is that it's a reminder for anyone who is struggling with fertility issues, they are in the supermarket, not only have they got their period as a reminder they aren't pregnant but they've got to walk past the baby products too. It just reminds people of what they are not."
The 47-year-old added: "I wasn't sure if it was a permanent thing, but for those who aren't going to be parents, it's a real double whammy. If someone has gone through IVF, and they've now got their period, because it hasn't worked, to then have to go and buy period products next to the baby milk. It really wasn't very well thought through. I wonder if it is the same in stores nationwide."
A Sainsbury's spokeswoman said: “We want our customers to find everything they need quickly and easily in our stores. At the same time, we understand people shop with us under a range of circumstances. It’s really important to us that we are sensitive to that and we’re listening to Ms Silverman’s feedback, which applies to the layout of a small proportion of our stores.”