Letting Children be Children
- The issues are rarely clear—cut, with a fine balance on a number of points — taste, preference, choice, affordability, fashion and gender preferences.
- Retailers are aware of the issues and sensitivities and are responding. They need to be explicitly and systematically family friendly, from design and buying through to display and marketing.
What we would like to see
That retailers do not sell or market inappropriate clothing, products or services for children.
Recommendations
6.
Developing a retail code of good practice on retailing to children. Retailers, alongside their trade associations, should develop and comply with a voluntary code of good practice for all aspects of retailing to children. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) should continue its work in this area as a matter of urgency and encourage non—BRC members to sign up to its code. ACTION: Retailers and retail associations, including the BRC
Theme 3 — Children as Consumers
Overview
- We all live in a commercial world and children are under pressure from a range of sources to act as consumers.
- We do not want to cut children off from the commercial world completely as we believe that it brings benefits and parents tell us that they want to manage the issue themselves, supported by proportionate regulation and responsible businesses.
- While adults may understand that companies might look to 'push the boundaries' when advertising to them, children are especially vulnerable and need to be given special consideration.
- Special measures already exist in advertising and marketing regulations to protect children but some gaps exist.
- Regulators cannot realistically be expected to anticipate detailed developments in the new media. However, an absence of regulation does not absolve businesses from acting responsibly by themselves.
What we would like to see
That the regulations protecting children from excessive commercial pressures are comprehensive and effective across all media and in line with parental expectations.
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