Hair care products designed for multicultural customers will no longer be kept in locked cases at Walmart, the world's largest retailer said Wednesday.
Walmart said only about a dozen stores nationally use the practice, KCNC reported.
“We’re sensitive to the issue and understand the concerns raised by our customers and members of the community and have made the decision to discontinue placing multicultural hair care and beauty products – a practice in place in about a dozen of our 4,700 stores nationwide – in locked cases,” store officials told KCNC.
A customer at a Denver store pointed out the discrepancy of how certain hair care products are made available, KCNC reported.
BREAKING: Walmart emailed me saying it will discontinue placing multi-cultural hair products in cases. https://t.co/ruP87MA6hP pic.twitter.com/2K8Fb4Puwm
— Tori Mason (@ToriMasonTV) June 10, 2020
“If I want Suave or Tresumme or Pantene, it’s out. The multicultural hair care is all locked behind the glass. That’s so ridiculous," Lauren Epps told KCNC. “I’m the kind of shopper who needs to look at things, read things. It’s awkward because you’re forced in the moment to grab it. People don’t realize what we have to go through on a daily basis.”
Epps tried to buy a scarf, but it was in a locked case. An employee unlocked the case and after Epps briefly looked at the item, and then put it back in the locked case.
“I’m not going to be shamed into thinking I’m a criminal for just wanting to get a scarf," Epps said. “This is very blatant because the heading above that aisle says ‘Multicultural Hair Care.’ They are saying that people who are a different culture need their stuff to be locked up.”
Walmart apologized for the customer experience.“We do not tolerate discrimination of any kind at Walmart. We serve more than 140 million customers weekly, crossing all demographics, and are focused on meeting their needs while providing the best shopping experience at each store," a Walmart spokesperson told KCNC. "We’re sensitive to this situation and also understand, like other retailers, that some products such as electronics, automotive, cosmetics and other personal care products are subject to additional security. Those determinations are made on a store-by-store basis.”
Cox Media Group
