SHOPPING
WHILE BLACK
has studied discrimination in retail
stores. Williams said that according
to numerous studies on the subject,
black customers who dress up get
a lower level of service than white
customers who dress down.
“When it comes to elitism and
race, it’s all interactive and all
connected,” said Williams. “When
you look at the givens, race still
comes into the picture.”
Michaela Angela Davis, editorial brand manager for BET, pointed
to a broader source: the societal
image of “the inferiority and criminality of black people.”
“It has resonated globally, and
I think this is also one of the residual ills from the institution of
slavery,” said Davis. “This is why
it’s so interesting when people
want us to get over it and not
talk about it. It’s like this disease
that has all these mutations that
we’ve seen through generations.”
SECURING THE STORE
Theft is an expensive problem retailers must constantly find ways
to mitigate. In 2011, retail theft accounted for $34.5 billion in losses,
according to a survey conducted by
the National Retail Federation and
the University of Florida.
Earlier this year, Barneys had a
HUFFINGTON
12.08.13
theft problem. But in trying to address theft, the retailer may have
just been substituting one problem
for another: racial profiling.
According to the October New
York Times story, a new Barneys
security management team outlined
more intense policies after a meeting on shoplifting several months
ago. Security staffers were told to
“take chances” in stopping custom-
By focusing security efforts on
min ܚ] H