Shopping While Black

Racial discrimination is illegal, nonetheless it still it manages to flourish and thrive in British and American retail and service settings. This type of retail racism and has relatively gone unchecked to dismantle until now.

Time to confront racial profiling and racism in the retail industry head on.

Shopping While Black

"Shopping while Black" is a daily lived experience and effecting millions of people of colour at every age, gender, from childhood all the way through adulthood. The negative practice of profiling Black customers is traumatising, is an adverse childhood and adult experience has never had a expiry date. Until now!

You may have become aware of this as a a phrase used for the type of marketplace discrimination in the retail industry, in store, shops, retail as well as when seeking services. This act of discrimination is also called "consumer racial profiling", "consumer racism" and "racial profiling in a retail" and spatial settings. Shopping while Black describes the experience of being denied service, given poor service, unequal service, even when simply window shopping, browsing, also post sales, aftersales, accessing and receiving customer services. It is when you're automatically assumed to be a suspect of criminality, stealing, thieving goods for on no other reason and basis other than presenting yourself being Black.

Black people are tired, exhausted and have had just about enough of racism and discrimination in every space. Black people are still fighting for equal rights to be treated as human, equal in every space we occupy with white counterparts, and this includes and matters in retail and services industires as buying consumers as it does in general society.

The Black consumer has value, the Black shopper, has great spending power that needs to be recognised and equally and respected. The Black pound in the hands of Black consumers is valuable AND if not valued may, have begun to reconsider where to spend the Black dollars and pound. It's time to take custom to stores that present as active in anti-racism practices and policy.

BRITISH & UK RETAILERS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS - BEWARE YOU ARE ON NOTICE!

Should you continue business with button on snooze you may wake late AND miss the party. Your brand may begin to lose valuable year of built-up reputation, as well as profits and when unconscious and fast asleep to the current climate of being progress 'WOKE' to racial injustices, racial equality and equity- WAKEY, WAKEY - TIME TO WAKE UP!!

👁️‍🗨️ Under Black Shoppers Eyes

In the interest of Black shoppers and racial discrimination rights, specifically racial profiling in the retail and services industry effecting its Black shoppers, consumers, WE are collectively empowering consumers to put the pressure on, and WE all become Shopping While Black Public Eyes, placing the retail and service industry under the collective eye of the Black gaze.

So together, lets partner to make and create a fairer and equitable welcome in a non-hostile environment to standardised retail experience, to high standard equally across all stores, outlets and services, including online too.

Black Shoppers Matter.

Black Lives Matter.

Shopping While Black

WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?

Shopping While Black (SWB ) is empowering Black consumers both in the UK & US to make the right choices when shopping, and in turn we're helping business to communicate directly with Black shopper.

Businesses' can now let Black shoppers, their consumers know you get it and want to change it!

Black shoppers feel discriminated against by racial profiling, individually or as group - identified as potential shoplifters purely based on skin colour MUST STOP.

Racism in retail is totally an unacceptable practice that is blatantly crossed each day. We've launched this campaign in the UK and US and expanding worldwide to support and empower Black consumers to make the right choice for a great ✔perience rather than a traumatic e✘perience to remember. Many Black consumers have been adversely effected, nonetheless have become accustomed to this type of discrimination in retail far too long.

We're here to assist Black shoppers to best find stores, which value and respect them as well the Black pound and dollar in the Black hand. We will and of course call out where to avoid and EVEN suggest considering boycotting as a collective if/where necessary. We may also share where racism lives and operates, under what roofs it resides and continues to thrive.

Shopping While Black (SWB) will consider calling out racism specifically and as well as directly with the company in question in the retail and services sector industry, when/if we receive evidence, written information, statements and video evidence that Black shoppers have shared and exposed as a hostile retail and or service environment.

We're supporting Black consumers to know their worth, feel, and own their worth and start to walk on by, to let their feet do the walking and take their custom elsewhere. Begin to buy more goods and services more often here they are welcome and ONLY spend cash and flex their debit/credit cards where the Black pound, dollar is valued in the palms of Black consumer hands

We're beginning a new era of zero tolerance to racism in every industry; a time of tangible living changes is overcoming tolerance of racism. And we're partnering with progressive anti-racist businesses wanting and willing to construct effective safe circle, non-hostile spaces and environment to end racism in the retail and services industry. Wherever racism is found it must be given a permanently ban, time to show racism the door and final exit.

We are willing to work in partnerships to create true anti-racist spatial spaces, so Black shoppers get to have a positive experience without fear or favour, simply fair and equal trading as standard.

Time to show racism the Final Exit.

If you are a business and want to sign our SWB pledge to commit to show racism the door and final exit, then you're the very type of company we want to do business with and share with our target audience to be well informed where they are genuinely welcome.

Is your business into the anti-racism?

If YOU have the right attitude and prepared to commit, then WE have right charter and pledge that's right for you and your anti-racism business. Let's GO!

Launching this campaign Black Lives Matter UK x Shopping While Black UK & US in partnership is a global endeavour, which means our work is long and wide and needs your support, help us to end racism, racial profiling and unequal, unfair treatment experienced by Black consumers in retail and service settings.

Support us to expel racism from retail stores and show racism the door and Final Exit.

Report Incident

FORM

Tips & Info

First and Foremost, Racial Discrimination is Illegal in any settings

1 🔻

Be ready to film incidents on mobile phone if/where possible. Having visual and audio footage makes it easier to prove, settle and resolve in your favour. Keep footage safe.

2 🔻

Log details of business, retail store, service, establishment, and whom you spoke to and consider requesting to talk with supervisor and or store manager to make them aware of situation. Note date, time of incident.

3 🔻

It’s easy to get frustrated and angry when dealing with security in particular and or front facing staff. Stay calm. If you’re angry and rude, you’ll make it harder to find a favourable resolution before of later if making a formal complaint. Be sure to keep your language appropriate and where possible be polite and stay focused on the results you want.

4 🔻

Be sure, fair and be reasonable, and know your consumer rights. Racial profiling is discriminatory, and racial discrimination is illegal.

5 🔻

Let us know if you feel you’ve been racially profiled by submitting in brief incident using our general form online.

‼️ NOTE: Do NOT be upload photos or footage of incidents unless requested.

6 🔻

Spread the word of our Shopping While Black UK campaign, the more people are aware and report the quicker we can stomp our racial profiling and discrimination.

Five thingsYou can do to combat racial profiling

1

LETTER OF COMPLAINT TO THE RETAILER

Template

Download & Edit

Make a complaint

It’s often best to try to resolve your problem informally first by talking to the trader or service provider. This can happen in the store, where you can ask to speak to the store manager and explain what happened to you and how they should address it.

Oftentimes, it's easier to address this later on. You can email a company's HR department or head store manager to make a complaint. It's great if you have details about the incident. You can request surveillance footage of the incident to make your case. If they don't answer, you can make a formal complaint and request that they answer within 14 days.

The Equality Advisory Support Service (EASS) has template letters you can use

2

STORES TRADE ASSOCIATION

Reach out to the store's trade association

If you don't hear back from the store about your complaint, you can put pressure on the company by reaching out to the trade association which sets rules for the company's industry and report the abuse. The trade association will also have specific trade rules around discrimination and how to address it. You can refer to it in your email to them to highlight how the store was in violation of it.

Letter to Black Shopper

3

COMPLAIN TO THE EQUALITY & HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISION

File an official complaint with the Equality and Human Rights Commission

You might not get an answer from the Commission BUT you will help raise awareness about this store/company, which they might decide to investigate later on.

4

SOCIAL MEDIAS TO SHOUTS!!

Tweet & SHOUT about it!

While companies might not react privately to complaints, they tend to answer to public pressure. Tweet your experience with a date, name, location of the store, and the hashtag#shoppingwhileblackukand you might hear back from them. Don't forget to tag the store, so they see your tweet. You'll also raise awareness about this behaviour, encouraging others to share their experiences, which ultimately helps society address the issue and stamp it out

Check out our website for more resources to address retail discrimination phrase known as 'Shopping While Black' (shoppingwhileblack.uk). There you'll also find an email if you want to discuss your options further or volunteer with us to eliminate this kind of abuse.

Fight on!

View SWB Experience 1

View SWB Experience 2

View SWB Experience 3

View SWB Experience 4

5

MAKE A CLAIM

Legal Action

Consider Legal Action

You can take the company to court, for breach of the Equality Act. You might be able to get an apology or even financial compensation if they're found guilty. Legal proceedings, though, are often time-consuming and onerous.

Speak to a specialised Equal Rights lawyer to discuss your options. They might advise you to reach out to a trade's ombudsman, who can review the case and seek mediation with the company.

Aug 2022 -A Black customer was awarded $4.4 million in damages in racial profiling lawsuit against Walmart

A jury in Oregon, US awarded a Black man $4.4 million in damages after he claimed in a lawsuit that a White Walmart employee racially profiled him while shopping and tried to have law enforcement act on false charges, according to court documents.

Read

Click & Report Incident

SHOPPERS BOYCOTT

What is a shopper's boycott?

A shopper's boycott is a voluntary abstention from using, buying, or dealing with a retailer, company, or product as a form of protest or to express dissatisfaction.

It and be individual acting on personal choice where ti shop, and can also be a substantial collective, group effort to bring about change by withdrawing support in mass.

How does a boycott work?

A shopper's boycott works by you, other individuals or groups refraining from engaging with a particular entity, often due to perceived, racial profiling, racism, discriminatory practices and or policies to target specific person, groups for unfair treatment compared to general standard of services.

This withholding of support aims to impact the target financially, standing in the community and influence company to address the concerns that led to the shopper's dissatisfaction, complaint and boycott.

Why would I participate in a boycott?

Participating in a boycott allows you, either as an individual, along with other individuals to leverage consumer power to advocate for change in company practice and instore standard of service to specific persons or groups. It can prove a good way to express disapproval of certain actions, policies, AND values of a person to companies and brands to encourage shoppers that may consider shopping elsewhere that aligns with more fair and equal standards of practices.

How do I boycott effectively?

To boycott effectively, make your dissatisfaction and complaint clear to the company and inform what you intend on doing, depending on the severity you may want to spread awareness about the ongoing issue and or a single specific unacceptable incident, and encourage others to join. Social media is effective to spread discontent, which may encourage other to support your cause and or even share their experience too!

Collective action can amplify the impact of a boycott. Companies and brands will take notice!

Are there alternatives to boycotting?

Yes, let your feet do the walking, explore alternative stores, services, or brands, seek out Black owned shops, stores online companies that could do with your support and value you as a customer without question and racial discrimination being a thing. Engaging in constructive dialogue with the entity in question, working with us towards positive change within the system is an additional way to make a difference.

Is boycotting the only way to bring about change?

While boycotting is a powerful tool to empower you and more so when collective will make the company look up, it's not the only method to effect change. Engaging in open communication, supporting other responsible businesses, that will value you and participating in activism or advocacy are complementary approaches to fostering positive transformations in Society.

Can a boycott be temporary?

Yes, for sure, boycotts can be temporary and used as a means to prompt immediate attention, to get swift change or draw attention to specific issues, in this instance racial discrimination of shopping while Black.

British Retailers Action Pledge

Action & Strategy

Retailers must be pro-active in a modern diverse world of retail, where customers still know best. Black shoppers need that consumers satisfaction!

Retailers need to step up and adopt action or strategy to avoid adverse circumstances, trauma for Black shoppers and potential and consequential lawsuits for businesses in retail and services.

Step up tomeet Black consumers expectation of equal treatment, and to be treated fairly aligned to white counterparts. Retailers must demonstrate the pound in the Black hands is of equal value as pound in the white hand!

By taking no action retail executives are allowing the status quo of racial profiling and racism in stores to continue, which is offensive, is an offence and against the law. The Black shopping experience is often an unpleasant experience not to enjoyed, can be traumatic and this needs to be fully recognised and addressed.

Not taking positive action these days will adversely impact on company profits, reputation of household and world-renowned brands and on flip side the public health in the Black community.

Maybe you've been wondering what you can do about racial profiling and in a 24/7 connective world incidents are highlighted, recorded and posted on many social media platforms -As well as lawsuits, expect ed to increase in the UK as it is in the US.

There are no silver lined bullet solutions BUT you must act now before it affects you brand and your business. No retail business is exempt from profiling Black customers in a world where racism is embedded in its society.

Solution & Remedy

5 Step Solution to Remedy

1. Create strategies for impact,
2. Conduct an implicit bias assessment
3. Hire Black people in leadership
4. Require mandatory implicit and explicit bias training
5. Create an accountability structure

Strategic Management

5 Phases of Strategic Management

1. Establish clear, realistic goals
2. Retailer must then be able to examine, understand, and codify
3. Based on the results of the analysis, the company can then develop its strategy,
4. Once the strategies are defined, it is time for execution
5. The final stage of strategic management

Pledge & Subscribe Package

5 Point Action Plan

1. Pledge & Subscribe
2. The Action is to work collaboratively, consult and co-operate with in order to create produce a fair equitable shopping experiences for Black consumers, service users
3. The plan is to invites Black consumers to join advisory board as panel member to share experiences, and progress
4. The commitment comes from retailer and service providers to complete the work required to end retail racial profiling and discrimination
5. Program includes Support, Advice, Consultation, Mediation, Resolution.

We believe in a world where everyone belongs, and we reject all types and forms of racism that stands in the way.

MAKE THAT STAND WITH US

ZERO TOLERANCE TO RACISM

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