A mum is too afraid to shop after claiming an Asda store racially profiled her and her daughters in Wales.
Melanie visited the Cardiff store with her two teen daughters on Tuesday, February 11, wanting a birthday gift for their grandmother. The gift they intended to purchase was a large £15 candle.
After paying, a staff member asked for proof of purchase and Melanie showed him the receipt, feeling understandably confused about why they singled out her daughter. Melanie had noticed two female staff members smiling at them earlier, and she suspects they raised concerns.
Melanie believes that they targeted her due to her race, as she is a South Asian woman, and her children are of mixed race. She said the staff member running at them was traumatic.
It was a horrible experience for them all, and she now wonders what they did wrong. Melanie works as an inclusion specialist and moved back to Wales from London in 2023, living in Sully with her husband and three daughters.
Upset, Melanie asked why they stopped her and why they suspected her daughter of theft, but she didn’t receive a good answer, according to reports. After leaving, she called customer service, who said she must complain to a manager in the store.
Melanie returned to file a complaint within thirty minutes and also returned the candle, feeling it would remind her daughter of the bad encounter. A supervisor took her seriously, apologized, and promised to investigate, although he couldn’t explain why it happened.
Melanie contacted customer service twice and spoke to the store manager, who promised an update by Friday, February 14, a response she is still waiting for. She vowed never to shop at that store again.
The incident made her feel self-conscious and nervous. Melanie and her daughter were shaken up, as they were going to see her mom. Melanie believes they racially profiled her and stopped her for no other reason.
She felt they didn’t look like thieves, and instead, they were just happy. An Asda spokesperson said they want positive self-checkout experiences, acknowledging that staff may ask for proof of purchase if they are unsure of the payment, realizing it is frustrating, but their intentions are good.