'Is this a girlboss thing?': Reitmans name change is getting mixed internet reactions

Canadian clothing company Reitmans is getting mixed feedback from the internet following a limited-time rebrand ahead of International Women's Day.

The Montreal-founded fashion retailer took to Instagram on Wednesday to officially announce the return of its tradition where it temporarily rebrands as "Reitwoman" to "honour and celebrate women" each year.

"This is our way of showing our recognition to all the women who inspire us daily with their strength and resilience," the company wrote in its caption to the post. "The positive actions we take today and all year are part of a bigger picture of change for a better future for all."

Reitmans began its "Reitwoman" tradition in 2020, in an effort to "help make women's voices heard," according to CTV News.

This year, the company's website indicates that its name change is an attempt to recognize "all the women who inspire us daily with their strength and resilience."

Instagram users showed their support for the campaign in the comments of the company's post.

"Love this tradition!" one person wrote, where Reitmans replied saying, "We do too!"

"Amazing, love this!" another added.

"Cool," someone chimed in.

But people on Twitter had different opinions on the retailer's choice to rebrand.

"Oh no, Reitwoman is back," one user remarked.

"Thank you, Reitwoman," one person sarcastically tweeted, while adding another tweet saying, "Really makes you think."

"They got saved from bankruptcy for this?" another person replied.

"Reitwoman? Is this a girlboss thing?" someone questioned.

It's not the first year Reitmans has faced backlash for its "Reitwoman" campaign. Since its tradition began in 2020, some people have used social media to call out the company.

"Well, Reitmans has temporarily changed its name to 'Reitwoman,' so I guess equality has been solved," a Twitter user quipped in 2022.

"This is a terrible idea," one person shared in 2020 about the name change. "I honestly thought it was a joke! ... So bad!"

"Reitman's changed their name on their website to 'Reitwoman.' Trailblazing," another added that year, replying to a previous tweet where they said, "Hi brands, it's actually OK not to send that [International Women's Day] tweet, email or video if you're doing very little to promote equality behind the scenes. We see through your slow-zoom, head-on shots of women's faces and are less than impressed."

On its website, Reitmans shares that it has "contributed" more than $300,000 to women's causes since 2019. This year, it has chosen to donate $10,000 to the Canadian Women's Foundation and $5,000 to the Canadian Red Cross.

Reitmans Canada Ltd., founded by Herman and Sarah Reitman in 1926, operates three brands: Reitmans, Penningtons and RW&CO.

The company indicates that 99 per cent of its workforce is made up of women, while 87 per cent of its employees that hold director positions or higher are also women.

Yahoo Canada has reached out to Reitmans for comment.

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