On the 24th March 2023, I entered Aldi, Luton, UK at about 7.15pm. Picked up a basket. Browsed the aisles. Picked up some items. Wet wipes, freshener, chocolates, batteries. Then went to the till to pay. I stood in line purchased these goods then went to the packing section to put them into my shopping bag.
As I started to walk towards the exit, a white woman in her late twenties, approached me and asked to search my bag. Next to her was an Asian security guard. I handed my handbag to the guard without complaint. After all, there was nothing in there apart from my personal belongings, I turned to the deputy manageress and asked if there was a problem. She responded that the problem was that I was a "shoplifter and had already been banned by this store and [I] was aware of this".
I told her that I have never been banned from any store, was not a shoplifter, and that she had the wrong person. Her face contorted with contempt as she told me that I was the right person, and in, fact, I was even wearing the same green coat. I again told her she was mistaken and asked for an apology. She stated that she "would not be apologising to me". I started to cry. She smirked and then said I was "making her uncomfortable and [she] wanted me to leave her store".
I left and the security guard who had checked my bag followed me - to apologise.
He stated that he "knew that I was not a shoplifter as [I] did not fit their profile" and he knew that I had stolen nothing from the store but that this deputy manageress had decided to target me from the moment that I entered the store. He re-stated that I did not fit their shoplifter shop profile. My phone was in my hand and I could not believe the frankness of what he was saying to me and began to record him - for fifteen minutes. I know as many minoritised people do that if we encounter racism we are told it is not happening, or that we are lying. We are in an invidious position of it being our word against the other party and we are rarely believed. I recorded what he said also knowing (as I have studied Law at university) that there is a body of caselaw where such recordings have been allowed.
He stated during this recorded conversation that:
-The deputy manageress has decided to target me the moment I walked through the door and picked up a basket even though he told her that he believed her to be wrongly targeting me.
-That he had tried on several occasions to dissuade the deputy manageress from targeting me but she was set on a course of action.
-That even as I was at the till waiting to pay, she still accused me of shoplifting.
- That even after she saw me paying she still wanted my bags turned out.
- That the reason she did all of this was his quote - the fact that "definitely 80% because you are Black".
He stated that there was no circumstance in which she would not regard me as a shoplifter even if she saw the photo of the actual shoplifter (if indeed there was a shoplifter) and that even if the photo looked different, she would still consider me to be a thief.
- He stated that the staff at this Aldi store discriminated against the Asian employees and that it was bad, but there was nothing they could do, so they had to tolerate it (all in the recording)
When I returned home that evening - I was in deep distress. This had never happened to me before. I have never been stopped in any store, nor been accused of shoplifting.
I have the audio recording so this cannot be denied. Moreover, it has come to light since posting my story on a neighbourhood app that this deputy manageress has targeted other women of colour even calling the police on a Black teacher after she used an empty/abandoned shopping trolley. Yes I am being serious. When other Asian and Black shoppers tried to intervene, she imposed lifetime bans on them.
Aldi know what this woman has been doing since at least 2021. I will never go into one of their stores again and suggest Black people avoid their stores. read more
