A couple that got stopped upon trying to exit Walmart is sharing their frustrations with what went down, although not everyone agrees with how they handled it. Viewers are wondering if they fell victim to racial profiling, or if Walmart is implementing new security measures.
Aubrey and Versace (who post under the shared account @Interxracial) uploaded a video to TikTok this week showing a full cart of what appears to mostly be groceries, all bagged up after they checked out at Walmart. However, they said that when they tried to leave the store, the employee at the exit stopped them to scan every item to make sure they had all been paid for.
In the caption, they suggested it may have been a result of racial profiling, as they said several other people exited the store just before them and weren’t subjected to having their entire carts checked like that.
Growing frustrations with Walmart’s checkout
Frustrations with Walmart having employees ask for a receipt at the door have been ongoing for some time now. And the retail chain has only increased with the prevalence of self-checkout and the ability to have your receipt emailed to you rather than printed out at the store. To some people, these delays aren’t a big deal. To others, like those who may be in a rush or have their hands full, having to go through multiple steps just to exit a store has become contentious.
It’s unclear how Walmart chooses which customers’ carts to scan or how long the store has utilized the practice. The Daily Dot has reached out to the company via website contact form for further information.
But people in Aubrey and Versace’s comment section have their own issues with how Walmart has focused on theft prevention.
“This happened to me yesterday at a Walmart in Orlando. Took 5 minutes to scan everything,” one commenter wrote.
“EVERY time I use self check out, I get profiled because of my tattoos,” another claimed. “They will literally stand right beside me while I scan everything, it’s to the point they don’t even try to hide it.”
“People need to just start boycotting this stupid store,” a third wrote.
@aubreyandversace @Walmart This is what you cann a racial profile SMH, serveral people walked in fromt of us whithout getting their ENTIRE cart checked. #walmart #viral ♬ original sound – Interxracial
But others, uncertain about the claim of racial profiling, suggested that filming the employee for doing her job and theoretically following corporate policy doesn’t accomplish anything.
“It’s literally their job. They do as they’re told. Stop acting like the workers are the worst thing in the entire world,” wrote one user.
“Elderly people who are working are the last people I’m going to be rude to,” another said. “90 seconds is nothing. You survived.”
In most cases, shoppers aren’t legally required to comply with requests to show their receipt as they exit a store in the United States, although there have been instances where doing so has turned into a bigger issue.
Ultimately the more complicated stores like Walmart make it to get in and get out, the more people may end up turning to other options, whether that means shopping somewhere else or just doing away with in-person browsing.
“If you don’t want to be stopped,” one TikTok commenter suggested, “do pick up orders.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to @Interxracial via TikTok comment.
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