One man’s Whole Foods experience has set the internet ablaze. According to Black Enterprise, the man was accused of stealing $200 worth of groceries from the Whole Foods in Culver City, a suburb close to Venice Beach, just for using his own bags, which is generally accepted at Whole Foods stores.
The Los Angeles man got into a confrontation with Josue, the store manager, and two security guards who came up to him to ask for his receipt in a now-viral video that @dwat803 shared.
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Instead of diffusing the situation, Josue kept making fun of him, stating, “Well, they shouldn’t have been in the bags.”
The manager claimed that security spotted the customer stealing goods from the hot bar section, even though he had a receipt to show that he had paid for everything.
The scene grew more intense as the man walked through the store. He kept asking why he was being targeted, but Josue merely said, “That’s our product right there.” When the man demanded to talk with higher-level management, Josue replied, “I am the manager.” However, that response did not satisfy the consumer, who wanted to take the situation to the next level.
He chose to return all of the things after providing proof of purchase because of the accusation. At the return counter, he made it clear that he would not shop at a store that discriminated against him based on his race. “Excuse me, I’ve been accused of stealing, so I want to return everything I got,” the man said.
As he completed the return, he requested that the staff read out the exact amount and method of payment—$233 paid by debit card.
The cashier, appearing uneasy, processed his request after validating his receipt. When the manager arrived to oversee the refund, he proceeded to argue that the products shouldn’t have been in the man’s bags, intensifying the customer’s anger. “What the f—k is you talking about?” the man responded angrily.
The man then openly spoke out against the prejudice he believed he was facing. “Ain’t nothing but a racist Mexican m****r, that’s all it is. He saw a Black person sitting there eating good, and he couldn’t stand it.”
Josue denied being racist, stating, “All I asked for was a receipt.”
However, the customer was unconvinced. “Ask everybody in the store for their receipt, then. The f**k you just coming up to me for? Cause you a f***king racist, that’s why.”
The video, which has been seen over 1 million times, received comments expressing disappointment and outrage toward the management of the popular grocery.
In response to an inquiry from Atlanta Black Star, a representative for Whole Foods sent an email saying, “We have investigated the incident in our Culver City store and are taking action in accordance with our policies, including issuing discipline up to and including separation of employment, if appropriate”.
However, the grocery did not say if Josue or the security personnel had been punished.
The man involved later stated that Whole Foods had contacted him and was working to resolve the matter. Meanwhile, the incident is still being discussed on social media, with many people expressing their concerns about racial profiling in stores.
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