T.J. Maxx has issued a response to the allegations made by a young Black shopper who claimed that she was racially profiled at one of their stores in Wisconsin. The incident has ignited widespread outrage on the internet.
Sophia Madrid, known as @sofireee3 on TikTok, shared an emotional account on her page last Thursday, recounting her recent shopping trip to a T.J. Maxx store in Racine, Wisconsin.
While shopping for purses with her boyfriend, she noticed that the store workers were staring at them intently. She had picked up multiple handbags in anticipation of making several purchases.
“They can be quite unsettling,” she explains, as her boyfriend proceeds to recount what he witnessed in the store.
“The moment we stepped into the store, the lady at the front counter fixed her gaze on us,” recalls the young woman’s boyfriend, who further mentions that multiple employees swiftly approached them, inquiring if they required any assistance. “The lady at the front counter even positioned herself by the door, almost as if she was attempting to guard it.”
Madrid heard nearby colleagues communicating with each other through their radios, discussing the surveillance of her and her boyfriend.
As the couple explored the store, Madrid noticed that the employees were constantly watching them, approaching them to offer assistance, and even keeping a close eye on them as they made their way to the checkout line.
According to her, she bought four handbags but is now unsure whether she should return them because of her disappointing shopping experience.
Madrid’s video quickly went viral, garnering over 8 million views and sparking a wave of comments urging her to share her experience with the retailer’s corporate team and return the bags she had purchased.
One individual commented, urging the recipient to promptly return the bags and inform the store about the disrespectful behavior. They also suggested contacting the corporate office to address the issue.
One reader suggested that the girl should return each item individually to a different TJ Maxx store and contact the corporate office.
“I apologize on behalf of Tj Maxx for the inconvenience you faced as an employee,” another individual empathized. “I highly recommend returning the bag and receiving a full refund.”
One commenter suggested filling out the survey at the bottom of the receipt because it is not only seen by store managers but also by corporate.
According to Madrid, the $500 gift card offered is seen as a mere gesture, which fails to address the gravity of the situation. He believes that falsely accusing individuals based on their race is unacceptable, regardless of any past incidents of theft at the store.
Madrid expressed her desire for the retailer to provide improved training to store associates, enabling them to better serve communities of color without perpetuating stereotypes.
In the caption of the video, Madrid expressed their desire for a sincere apology from the involved associates. They emphasized that a gift card would be of no significance to them as they would never use it. Madrid also made it clear that they have no intention of ever returning to this establishment or supporting their business.
According to the State of Racial Profiling in American Retail report published in 2021, over 90 percent of Black shoppers encounter racial profiling while making purchases or browsing in stores. The report surveyed over 1,000 Black consumers, with 52 percent stating that they would not return to a store after experiencing profiling.
According to Atlanta Black Star, a representative from T.J. Maxx expressed their sincere disappointment in Madrid’s experience and stated that store leaders have already reached out to her.
“We deeply regret that the recent experience of our customer in our Racine store did not reflect our commitment to treating everyone with dignity and respect,” said the spokesperson of TJ Maxx.
They added, “We are determined to make this right. Our leaders have had multiple conversations with the customer to express our sincere disappointment in her experience. We have also explained the steps we are taking to prevent such incidents from happening again in our store.
These steps include conducting a thorough review of the situation involving the associates involved and using this as an opportunity to reinforce our expectations for proper customer engagement with all of our Racine associates.”
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‘I didn’t come here to be mistreated’: Anger erupts as a Black woman tearfully recounts her experience of alleged racial profiling by T.J. Maxx associates at a Wisconsin store. The retailer has since responded to the incident.
Source: Newsbreak