Ronnie, 44, said her personal shopper appointment at House of Fraser was cancelled because they had little stock beyond a size 14 and she would likely leave empty handed
A woman said she was ‘fat shamed’ by a personal shopper at House of Fraser which left her feeling humiliated.
Ronnie, 44, was in floods of tears after being told she would probably go home empty handed from her appointment at the department store.
She had originally booked in for a wardrobe refresh for her birthday last week.
But the day before the special event, she was contacted by the store to say she’d likely leave empty-handed as they did not have her size in stock in Deansgate, Manchester.
Ronnie, who wears a size 18, said the email made her feel ashamed of her body image and completely ruined her birthday, reports Manchester Evening News.
The email, seen by the publication, informed Ronnie that the store was postponing her appointment as they did not have any stock beyond a size 14.
In the email, the personal shopper said: “I need to start by apologising for the short notice, but I think it’s best if we postpone your appointment for a wardrobe refresh, until we have a better selection of stock to shop.
“From your responses I can see that you are looking for pieces in the fuller figure size range, and sadly in store, we currently have little or no stock beyond a size 14.
“It would be of little benefit to you to go through the process at the moment, because you would probably go home empty-handed.”
Ronnie, who had earmarked two hours of her birthday to attend the appointment with her partner, branded the email “unprofessional” and said she’s been left “upset” and “disappointed”.
She said: “I was in floods of tears yesterday when I received that email. It completely ruined my birthday as I had planned my whole day around that experience.
“The email just left me feeling fat shamed. I think it’s shocking that a shop that size doesn’t cater for women with a broad range of body shapes.”
Ronnie had booked the appointment on November 15 for a full wardrobe refresh, as she said she’d fallen out of touch with current trends and wanted a confidence boost.
According to House of Fraser’s website, the store offers a unique, tailored service where an experienced team of stylists will “help find the perfect outfit for a special event or to build an entire new-season wardrobe.”
After complaining about the response she received from personal shopping, Ronnie claimed said she received an apologetic email from a manager offering her free coffee and cake.
“They said they had been ordering stuff in bigger sizes but that they are just not arriving,” Ronnie said.
“But I thought they could have at least given me notice. I just don’t want anyone else to experience what I have.
“Nobody should be made to feel the way I was, especially on my birthday. I definitely won’t be going back there.
“The humiliation was the main thing for me. I just don’t think it’s fair. The average woman’s size is between 16 and 18 so if they can’t cater for that, something is seriously wrong.”
The Mirror Online contacted House of Fraser for comment.
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