Discriminatory Practices at Food Lion

We have the reverse problem at store #1324 where it is obvious that
the management is black and the white employee's were abused out of
their jobs. They were replaced with black employee's. I wouldn't mind
if it was all black but I am a senior citizen and I need to shop close
to home but they are so rude to me. I have seen how bad they talked to
white employee's and it made me feel bad. These are not good people
that run this store, now I have to go further up the road to shop. I
have reported it more than once but it has gotten worse. Food Lion is
not a good company, don't shop there. How sad customer's complaints
are ignored.
We, all, deserve apologies.

This reminds me of something that happened in Charlotte NC a couple of
months ago. A 17 year old balck male student that graduated 1st in
his class was employeed by Food Lion. He came home and mentioned to
his Mother that he had taken a couple of hot pockets from work.

His mom sent him back to the store to apologize and pay for the hot
pockets.

Apparently management got angry with him and told him to leave the
store. Police were called and the 17 year old was tasered. He died
in the Food Lion.
http://news14.com/content/headlines/594088/mom-mourns-son-after-taser-
incident/Default.aspx

I think you might be on to something with your opinion they are
discriminatory. I think Food Lion does have some issues.

I think the store is in some serious need of sensitivity training.

I am white but gay and had a very bad experience in a Myrtle Beach
Food Lion store a few years ago during Gay Pride.

Sorry this happened to your son!

I understand your request for an apology because your son deserves
one, but I really think you should ask him if he wants a public
apology at the store. If he's anything like my teenage son, he might
prefer a private apology with as little attention as possible. An
apology in front of the employees might make you feel better, but it
might make your son uncomfortable. Maybe you should ask him how he
would like the store to handle this situation.

I'm not sure I would call it discrimination, but it was wrong. They
have no right to humiliate anyone in public. Over two cans of black
eye peas??? Shockingly stupid of them.

Your son deserves a public apology as he was insulted in public.

Of course he could not continue the conversation because you were on
the right track and he knew it. But he also was not going to say it
over the phone.

I think because this meat cutter had previously caught someone
stealing, he was over zealous and apparently thought he was going to
catch another thief.
And while employees should be aware of any strange behavior from a
customer or fellow employee, they have no right to accuse anyone
unless they actually see them hide the item and try to remove it from
the premises.
Your son did neither.

I believe this young man deserves an apology and I agree with Mom that
this should be done at the store with the meat cutter and manager
present...but not necessarily in front of ALL the other employees.

And mom, I hope your son understands people are different and because
he was "profiled" he now understands what it feels like and hopefully
will never do the same to someone else.

I work at a retail grocery store very similar.We have very strict
guidelines to adher by. We have to see them conceal the actual
merchandise and then leave the store with the merchandise, all wile
constantly observing "shoplifter" to make sure they did not change
their minds and put it back. I wouldn't stop until you speak with
someone higher up than the store manager. Your son deserves an apology
from the D.M and the store manager. A face to face apology.

One thing I've been taught is that unless you see evidence of a person
stuffing/concealing merchandise you don't even confront the person and
accuse them. You need to see them in the act of concealing. Also,
cans of anything are sort of hard to conceal. Shoplifters who conceal
usually go for smaller, more valuable things. If I were a betting man
(and I am) I'd bet your son WAS targeted because of race with his age
being a secondary factor.

1. Bottom Dollar is a Food Lion brand. Therefore there is nothing
wrong with Cheryl addressing her letter to Food Lion.

2. Store #2910 is listed at the Pine Bluff address with the same phone
number on this Food Lion ATM locator:
http://www.foodlion.com/documents/AtmInfo.pdf

3. There is a Bottom Dollar store listed at a Jefferson Davis Hwy
address in Dumfries, VA with the same phone number as Store #2910.

4. A check of the Jefferson Davis Hwy address on Google Maps shows
that, in fact, the store is at the INTERSECTION of Pine Bluff and
Jefferson Davis Hwy.
http://tinyurl.com/5rn9m2

5. According to a press release on Bottom Dollar's website which
announces the opening of ten more stores..."Another way Bottom Dollar
Food differs from other discounters is that stores have butchers on
site to assist customers with custom cuts. In addition, they also
offer a localized assortment to make sure customers' needs for
Hispanic, Asian or other regional items are addressed".
http://www.bottomdollarfood.com/news/article8-22-07.asp

Because of this additional information, I think it's safe to conclude
that this store DOES exist at the location the letter writer claims it
exists. I dont know why the address changed however its clear its in
the same location.

Cheryl, thank you for using PlanetFeedback. We hope they get back to
you with a successful resolution.

The address she cited doesn't exist. In fact, it would be in the
middle of a building-less portion of that road:

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

and I hate to be an a** but in my head when this happens to me (I must
be fair and say it only happens occassionally) I think to myself "You
make like.....$10.00 an hour, maybe you have to steal but I certainly
do not". I know, I know but I just can't help it....it makes me that
mad! But I never say it, I always try to be the bigger person.

*Bottom Dollar* has a store at the following address and phone
number:
"17120 Jefferson Davis Hwy Dumfries VA 22026 703-441-0677"

Note this phone number matches the one in the letter, but the street
address differs for some reason.

Thus, this letter, as a minimum, should have been sent to Bottom
Dollar.

Food Lion's website lists no stores within 50 miles of Dumfries.
rxgirl gave me the idea to look into this. Good catch!

I live in the same county and I am familiar with Dumfries, there has
not been a Food Lion for about 2 years, I think the one in Dumfries
became a Bottom Dollar food store. The other Food Lions around here
became Bloom. I would think that if you had "patronized the store for
over 9 years" you would know this.

I call shenanigans on this because Bottom Dollar (Food Lion) is like
Aldis. There would not be a meat cutter because it is a very basic
food store hence the name Bottom Dollar.

Good try though!

I'm not sure whether I agree with Beeracuda or whether this really is
a race issue. I can see easily how both things came into play.

But on a completely separate note, I"m thinking a kid who doesn't know
where potatoes are in a grocery store (or who doesn't think to ask a
store employee or another shopper) perhaps isn't the best kid to send?
;) (I know, he'll learn eventually.)

If you hear back from Food Lion, please share their response. (I
expect it'll be nothing but corporatespeak gobbledygood, but maybe
they'll surprise us.)

I got news for you Cheryl. Your son was stereotyped, but not because
of his race. It was because of his age. It still may not seem to be
fair, but that's the age of people who seem more inclined to steal,
and I'm sure stores have statistics to prove that.

Of course, it doesn't help that a lot of teenagers don't have a lot of
composure in public. I remember when I was that age, long ago, and
I'm sure I didn't exactly look like a model citizen at the time. I'm
sure I looked like a "fish out of water", surrounded by people older
than me, which would make me look "suspicious".