Yahoo Finance 'You should be ashamed': The story behind Woolworths nappy backlash
Woolworths has responded to heated backlash over a change in the design of a popular range its nappies.
Shoppers took their rage online after the supermarket’s relaunch of the Little One’s nappies in June, complaining about issues with sizing, fit and functionality.
Parents were quick to express their disapproval of the revamp, sharing photos and horror stories from their experiences with the formerly reliable product.
One mum argued the new nappies were smaller, thinner and more prone to leakages, making it clear she was “very disappointed”.
“My twins have rashes and I’m not happy. Please go back to the older version. It used to be the best,” she wrote in a post to the retailer’s Facebook page.
She shared a photo comparing an old design with the new one where it was obvious the current product was smaller than it was previously.
It seemed the mum was far from alone, with several others pointing out similar issues.
“Seriously disappointed that you’ve changed your nappies. You’ve made your new ones much thinner and smaller than the previous ones,” another annoyed shopper said.
The woman accused the retailer of not updating its sizing chart, saying it left her “stuck with five packets of these terrible new nappies”.
She also shared an image comparing the old design to the new, once again showing the older one to be bigger.
“They’re smaller and thinner and you still get the same amount of nappies in the packet for the same money. You’ve really made them smaller and continue to charge the same money,” she wrote.
“You should be ashamed of yourselves.”
Mums claim new Woolworths brand nappies unfit for purpose
Yet another mum complained about the new ones, saying they had been unsuccessful in containing her child’s urine for two nights in a row.
Someone else wrote to the supermarket accusing it of changing something that didn’t need fixing.
“Do you ever consider that it didn’t actually need to be changed and the changes that are made not only suck but you then have mums trying to scramble and find an alternative,” she wrote.
“Now I have a one-year-old baby that has no nappies that will fit her comfortably, she has to wear ones that dig into her sides, don’t last over night, and are too tight around her waist.”
Several other parents took to the retailer’s page to express their disapproval, many claiming their children were experiencing avoidable discomfort as a result of the apparent redesign.
Switch to Australian manufacturer behind new nappies
Woolworths told Yahoo News Australia there was a simple reason behind the new nappies, saying the relaunched design was different because it was made by an Australian manufacturer.
“In June, we relaunched Woolworths’ Little One's nappies to be made in Australia. The new product features the latest in absorbency technology to help parents keep their children comfortable and dry,” a spokesperson said.
“Most of the sizing specifications are similar to the previous range, with minor modifications to maintain and improve absorbency. We know it can be frustrating finding the right size nappy, so we’ve introduced a fit indicator across all sizes so parents know when it’s time to move up to the next size.
“If a child has outgrown the Little One’s Junior size, we recommend Little One’s Junior nappy pants. Due to the construction of the elastic sides, nappy pants are often able to accommodate a better larger fit. We’re always looking for ways to improve our nappies, and value our customer’s feedback.”
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