8-yr-old writes stern letter complaining about girls not having pockets. Supermarket made her a promise

In 2024, while shopping for school clothes, 8-year-old Georgia from Ipswich, England, noticed something that did not sit right with her. The girls' trousers sold at Sainsbury's under its Tu clothing brand either had no pockets at all or only had fake ones sewn in for appearance. "They didn’t have real pockets; they just had fake ones. Then we went in the boys’ and they had pockets and I thought it was unfair, so I bought boys’ trousers," Georgia recalled while speaking to the BBC. However, she decided she would not let go of the issue so easily. Frustrated by the design gap, Georgia wrote a letter to Sainsbury's.

The letter read, "Dear Sainsbury’s, me and my mummy went shopping for trousers for school and we noticed there weren’t any pockets in the girls’ trousers. Girls need to carry things too! When will this change?" Sainsbury’s responded with a message that acknowledged the problem. Their letter said, "Thank you for your letter. I’m sorry, currently, girls' school trousers do not have pockets. I agree they should! I’ve noted your complaint for our production team to review. They will check to see how many other customers have logged the same complaint and review their style for girls' trousers based on the feedback. Your opinion counts and is noted. Thank you for taking time out to write to us. Hope you have a lovely day. Kind regards."

Although the letter expressed agreement, Georgia did not feel the company had taken action. So, she went a step further. She started a petition at school and persuaded 56 classmates to sign it. "Some of them were boys," she pointed out. Despite the strong support, Sainsbury’s did not respond to the petition. Then, in 2025, she was on a return trip to Sainsbury’s, Georgia, when she spotted something different. The new trousers for girls had deep pockets, large enough for her to reach in up to the wrist, and decorative bows stitched onto the front belt loops. It was the change she had asked for.

Sainsbury’s sells clothing under the Tu brand. When asked about the update, a spokesperson told the outlet, "Customer feedback is really important to us, and we share Georgia’s passion for offering a choice in the style of school uniform." The spokesperson also said Tu's clothes are categorized by age, not gender. But that response conflicted with the original letter Georgia received. In it, the company clearly stated that girls’ trousers at the time did not have pockets and that her complaint had been sent to the production team. The spokesperson also claimed that "a wide selection" of trousers with pockets had been available for "many years."

However, side-by-side photos of the trousers told a different story. One pair, older and plain, had no usable pockets. The newer pair featured full-sized pockets and a bow detail that hadn’t appeared in the previous version. Georgia chose to view the update as a win. The company did not confirm whether her letter or the petition was responsible for the change, but her family bought the new trousers and took pride in the outcome.