A department store’s decision to describe women who where plus-size as “rotten” and “extremely terrible” is going about as well as one could reasonably expect.
Exactly why RT-Mart, a retail chain with 416 stores in China, chose to promote large women’s sizing as “horrible,” while smaller sizes were called “slim” and “beautiful,” has not been fully explained.
A photo of the sign at an undisclosed RT-Mart location, shared on Chinese social-media platform Weibo, went so far as to include a size key indicating in which section women of certain heights and weights ought to shop, which could not independently verify the photo. “Suggested women’s sizing chart,” the sign read, aimed at women between the ages of 18 and 35.
The photo has since racked up over 4 million views on the network, with a caption that reportedly reads, “I was shocked when I saw this size chart at a RT-Mart today. Am I completely rotten?”
RT-Mart was quick to issue an apology following the backlash, saying they “deeply [regret] causing discomfort to the public due to inappropriate words used in some of its promotional materials,” and claimed the incident was isolated.
“After the incident, RT-Mart thoroughly inspected all RT-Mart stores immediately,” the company said. “After investigation, it was confirmed that such an incident occurred in one store, and the headquarters has quickly requested the store to remove all signs.”