Sainsbury's apologises over 'racist' trouser labelling

The two pairs of trousers in question were advertised as "Grey Skinny Reinforced Knee Grow Hem Trousers 2 Pack" and "Reinforced Knee Grow Hem Woven Trousers 2 Pack" on the Argos website, which Sainsbury's acquired in 2016.

However, it was pointed out that two of the words placed together are used by racists online to get around filters on websites.

Many online spaces employ moderation filters that are designed to flag slurs and hate speech, but homophones and emojis can dodge the automatic filters.

Hi @sainsburys @Argos_Online I know you’re the same company, are you aware that the item name below is freely used by racists to by pass n-word filters? May I suggest renaming the item. Also maybe a few Black faces in the decision making process, to avoid this in the future. pic.twitter.com/3S9GOPighF

— Esheru (@EsheruKwaku) July 24, 2024

X (formerly known as Twitter) user @EsheruKwaku brought attention to the issue, sharing in a post: "Hi @sainsburys @Argos_Online I know you’re the same company, are you aware that the item name below is freely used by racists to bypass n-word filters?

"May I suggest renaming the item, Also maybe a few Black faces in the decision-making process, to avoid this in the future."

At the time of writing this post has received just under 900,000 views, with many criticising the labelling.

One person wrote: "I had to read this 3-4 times and thought what you on about, what’s the problem. Then i see it and now cant unsee it."

Another shared: "I had to read it three times before seeing it. What kind of branding is this?"

Meanwhile, another wrote: "What in fresh hell? I can hardly believe my eyes. Disgusting."

Sainsbury's remove listings of trousers from its website

The listings have been temporarily removed from Sainsbury's website at the time of writing.

Speaking to BBC News, a spokesperson for the supermarket said: "We're truly sorry for the upset this has caused.

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"We have listened to the concerns which have been shared and are urgently updating the product labelling."

Grow hems are trousers made with extra length at the bottom which can be let down as the child grows, helping them survive a growth spurt.

According to internet archives, the website described the trousers as "fitted with an elasticated, adjustable waist for an ideal fit, they have grow hems and reinforced knees to help them last for longer".