Next Blasted Over Cadbury Selection Box 'For Men'

Next has been blasted for selling a Cadbury selection gift box and marketing it 'for men' on social media.

The clothing and homeware retailer also sells gifts - but one woman wasn't too happy to see that the chocolates on offer to her seemed to have been branded as a 'men's' present on her Facebook page.

As the chocolates popped up as an ad, the click-through link advertised a 'Mens Chocolate Double Deck Selection Box'.

Sharing a screenshot on Twitter, the woman, named Amber Ross, wrote: "Why is this for men? @nextofficial".

Another woman replied with a face-palm emoji, while a second penned: "Oh goodness..."

"@nextofficial why is this item for men?," a third quizzed.

While the Facebook ad appeared to advertise 'Mens chocolate' - whatever on earth that is - the selection box on the Next website is currently just named Cadbury Double Deck Selection Box.

And in it you can find Cadbury Dairy Milk, a Cadbury Dairy Milk with Caramel, a Cadbury Dairy Milk Fruit & Nut, a Crunchie and a Twirl, among other sweet treats.

Little did we know that all women were excluded from enjoying these...

PA)

The fact the box has not currently got the bizarre name on site means that this is either an issue with the Facebook ad alone, or it has since been changed.

Tyla has contacted Next for comment.

This isn't the first time a store has caused a bit of a storm by 'gendering' a completely inanimate object.

In fact, when Louise, 19, a trans rights comic creator, tweeted a pair of male and female stock images in pink and blue with the simple caption 'Unnecessarily gendered products, a thread' she was inundated with responses.

Ladies, how about this stunning pink-themed Ouija board and bible combo?

You know, for all those times when you want to commune with spirits from beyond the grave, and channel Elle Woods simultaneously?

There's also a pink 'lady hammer' - after all, how will you know which tools in the shed are yours if they're not colour coded?

Twitter / @themouseyouknow)

Home improvement not your thing? Perhaps building Jenga towers is more on your level - step up this special pink-toned 'Girl Talk' edition of the game, with blocks in rosy hues.

Not forgetting these handy gender-coded tooth brushes, and pink and blue Pritt Sticks, for when you want to enforce gender binaries on your stationery collection.

And don't worry lads, you're not left out of the picture.

Just look at this ultra-manly grenade-shaped bath bomb. Scented with black peppercorn and dubbed 'the man grenade bath blaster'.

Twitter / @themouseyouknow)

This product means that you can quite literally blow all kinds of progress in gender expression out of the water.

And of course, there's the Boyble, here to teach religion on a strictly gender-binary basis, just like Jesus - who saw everyone as equal - would have wanted.

After all that shopping, we need a cuppa. Only if it's gender specific, obviously.

Sadly, these images show that we have a long way to go before unnecessarily gendered products are a thing of the past.

Still, we're going to feel all the more satisfied scoffing the whole box of 'men's' chocolates now. Sorry, not sorry.

Topics: Life News, Life, Cadbury, Chocolate

Joanna Freedman

Joanna is a journalist at Tyla with a particular interest in highlighting women's issues and telling inspiring first person stories. She's also their resident foodie, and loves covering exciting new beauty launches, too. Contact her at [email protected].

@joannafreedman