Marks and Spencer renames iconic chewy sweet to avoid causing offence
It's the first supermarket to rebrand the confectionery
Retail company Marks and Spencer has announced that they are to rename a popular chewy sweet to avoid causing offence.
The sweets, currently known as Midget Gems, are to be rebranded as Mini Gems as part of a campaign from a disability academic to distance the sweet from offending people with dwarfism.
Mini Gems have been an iconic staple of confectionery, becoming particularly popular in the North of England in the 1990s.
The gems are described as being similar to wine gums, but much harder in consistency.
A spokesperson for Marks and Spencer said about the shift: "We are committed to being an inclusive retailer - from how we support our colleagues, through to the products we offer and the way we market them to our 32 million customers.
"Following suggestions from our colleagues and the insights shared by Dr Erin Pritchard, we introduced new Mini Gem packaging last year, which has since been rolled out to all of our stores."
Marks and Spencer is the first major retailer to rename the sweet in the wake of the campaign, led by Dr Erin Pritchard - a disability studies lecturer from Liverpool Hope University.
As part of her campaign, Ms Pritchard - who has achondroplasia, a condition which stunts growth - had spoken to retailers and sweet companies to make an effort to rebrand the sweet.
Ms Pritchard's argument centred around the fact that 'midget' is used as a derogatory word for people with dwarfism and other issues related to height.
Other retailers are also looking to change the name of the sweet, as Tesco announced it would review the branding of the product.
Speaking about the rebranding campaign, a Tesco spokesman said: "We are a diverse and inclusive retailer and we would not want any of our products to cause offence.
"We are grateful to Dr Pritchard for bringing this to our attention and we will be reviewing the name of this product."
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