Everyday, customers are followed, ignored or insulted by staff at retail stores due to their race, gender, the type of clothes they wear or other superficial factors.
They may be suspected of shoplifting or some other crime just due to their appearance.
Racial profiling in retail establishments continues decades after the passage of federal and state legislation prohibiting discrimination in public places.
Recently, for example, the Indiana Civil Rights Commission (ICRC) determined that three Indianapolis women were wrongfully accused of shoplifting at a local Dots clothing store last year. While the sisters left the store, they were surrounded by police who had been called by the store’s assistant manager. Police found no evidence of shoplifting.
“According to the store’s loss prevention policy, a staff member is required to witness an individual take or conceal merchandise before taking action,” said Akia Hayes, ICRC’s deputy director. “Yet, a staff member contacted police without witnessing any of the ladies conceal merchandise.
Exclusive investigation
This week the Recorder conducted its own investigation to see how customers with different appearances are treated in retail establishments.
In one scenario, Recorder staffer Devin Craig went undercover as a consumer. Also involved was Steven McCloud, a coordinator with Starting Over, a local initiative designed to help ex-prison inmates obtain education, employment and housing.
Craig was dressed professionally in a suit, while McCloud arrived in regular street clothing. McCloud also brought two of his friends, Tony Shelton and Kamron Tilly. Craig, McCloud, Shelton and Tilley are all African-American, and Tilly arrived with his girlfriend, who is white.
While looking at cars alone at a Mercedes Benz dealership near 96th Street and Keystone Avenue, Craig was not approached by employees inside, who saw him as he walked past the dealership’s front door, which was unlocked at the time.
“Two sales reps were in there, we made eye contact with each other, and they still did not see if I needed help or had questions about the cars,” Craig said.
Staff also did not greet McCloud and Shelton, who came after Craig left and looked at cars on one end of the lot, while Tilly and his girlfriend viewed them from the other. In fact, the doors of the dealership were locked when McCloud arrived.
“This is unbelievable, that they see us, but won’t even acknowledge us,” said McCloud.
In conclusion neither Craig, despite his professional appearance, nor McCloud were approached by staff.
When World Wide Motors, which operates the dealership, was contacted the following day, a sales representative explained that it is policy for customers to be greeted.
He suggested that the incidents took place after the dealership had closed, in which case, he said, it would be unfair to criticize the staff for not coming out.
“If this incident had taken place during regular business hours, then the experience would have been much different,” he said.
The Recorder had not heard from the dealer’s ownership at press time.
Craig and McCloud’s group later went to a nearby Jared jewelry store. Craig was offered water, cappuccino, a full tour of the facility, and a demonstration of differences in fancy diamonds.
“They treated me like a king or a millionaire,” Craig said.
McCloud and his group, on the other hand, said they were greeted nicely by three different staff members, but did not receive any special treatment. No water, cappuccino, or demonstrations, let alone a tour, were offered.
“They were nice, but we didn’t get the same treatment (Craig) got,” said Shelton, McCloud’s friend.
Signs of progress
In another investigation, the Recorder found that some places have made progress in treating patrons equally, even if the service they provide is not the best.
Recently, Thomasina Horton, who lives in Indianapolis, and Michelle Gregory, who lives in Greenfield, went shopping at two retail stores there. Located in nearby Hancock County, Greenfield has a minority population of less than one percent, and has been known by some as a city that is not frequently visited by people of color.
Horton, who is African-American, and Gregory, who is white, took time to shop at a Maurice’s clothing store. Horton went in first to see what she would experience.
“I didn’t get treated as negatively as I thought I would, considering the location,” she said.
However, she did note that there were two staff members and two other customers in the store, both of whom were white. One employee, while working with another customer, did acknowledge Horton, asked if she had any questions and briefly mentioned a sale. Another employee stepped from behind the counter to assist one of the other customers as she walked through the store, but that personal attention was not offered to Horton.
“That could have been construed many different ways, in light of the fact I was in the store looking also,” Horton said.
Gregory said she was also only briefly engaged by Maurice’s staff, leaving one to conclude that none of the treatment was about race.
After leaving Maurice’s, Horton and Gregory went to a nearby Big Lots store.
Both Gregory and Horton encountered a dry, curmudgeonly employee who barely noticed they entered the store.
“She didn’t acknowledge me or say hello or anything, but I think that was just her personality,” Horton said. “Discrimination and the idea of what a shoplifter looks like really depends on the person.”
Gregory agreed, saying that she was also ignored by the employee. She added that she has close friends of different ethnicities, a couple of whom have gone shopping in Greenfield stores with her and felt very uncomfortable.
“I was very pleased with how things turned out today, and the fact that we didn’t have the kind of experiences I have witnessed before with my friends,” Gregory said. “However, profiling does go on, and we need to not be apathetic and have a conversation as a community about it, because everybody’s money is as green as anyone else’s and we are all human beings.”
Next week: Participants share other experiences related to discrimination in retail, and state officials discuss how they are addressing discriminatory practices.
