Walmart Canada called out for locking up textured hair care products
A Walmart Canada shopper is speaking out after discovering that one store had textured hair care products locked behind glass security doors.
Walmart Canada customer Temitayo Odubanjo, 27, was shopping at a location at 3757 Keele Street in Toronto on Feb. 3, when she was surprised to see that the only hair care products stored under lock and key were for textured hair.
Odubanjo is a tech and post-secondary education worker who also owns a home-based hair braiding studio called Tematresses. She decided to take a video and share it on TikTok.
“All of the white people hair care brands [are] here and then look over here,” she says in the video. “Everything, shea butter, Cantu, what else? Shea moisture.”
In the caption, she wrote, “What message are you sending when only Black hair care products are locked up? Speaking to the manager, he says it’s ‘data-driven.’ I don’t buy it.”
@temyxox What message are you sending when only Black hair care products are locked up? Speaking to the manager he says it’s “data driven” I don’t buy it @Walmart @Walmart Canada #blackhistorymonth #racism #walmart #walmartcanada ♬ original sound – TEMA 💗
In an email to Daily Hive, Odubanjo said that the response she received from the manager “felt dismissive.”
“I was told the decision was justified by data showing those products were the most stolen,” she explained. “However, something in me did not sit right with that explanation. Call it intuition or faith, but I strongly felt that no comprehensive data existed that could fairly justify singling out products primarily used by one demographic group.”
The video went viral with over 227,000 views since it was posted on Feb. 3, and according to Odubanjo, the reaction has been intense.
“Some comments included statements like, ‘It’s because Black people steal’ and ‘stereotypes are earned,'” she said. “Reading those responses was difficult. For a moment, I even questioned whether posting the video was the right decision. The volume of hostility makes you pause and reflect.”
Some commenters pointed out that other products, like razors and baby formula, are also behind glass security doors. However, some viewers shared the same sentiment as Odubanjo.
“For the ones saying it’s not a race thing, my Walmart in Woodbridge doesn’t lock those items up, but a Walmart in the Keele area does,” one viewer commented. “Be for real and do the math.”
Another person wrote, “I’m glad someone is finally calling this out.”
“Shouldn’t be buying from there anyways, plenty of Black-owned businesses I’d rather give my money to,” another commenter stated,
Three days after sharing the video, Odubanjo shared another video stating that Walmart had removed the glass doors. In the caption, she explained that she had a “good conversation” with the store manager and was able to come to an understanding.
@temyxox We did it ya’ll 🥹❤️ glass doors have been removed from the Black hair care section. I had a good conversation with the store manager, and we were able to come to an understanding. Over the past few days, there was a lot of pushback that made me question whether speaking up was worth it. But God doesn’t abandon His children when they stand for what’s right, and this outcome reminded me of that. It may seem like a small change, but it matters. Speaking up for the right reason always does #blackhistorymonth #walmartcanada #walmart #racismawareness ♬ original sound – NowThis Impact
“That action reaffirmed what I believed from the beginning, which is that there was not sufficient justification to single out those specific products in that way,” she stated.
Odubanjo said that she understands that theft prevention is necessary; however, when products used predominantly by Black individuals are singled out, “it sends a message, whether intentional or not.”
“This situation highlighted how important it is to consider both data and ethics. Retail policies do not exist in a vacuum,” she said.
“They affect real people and how they experience everyday spaces. I am grateful the doors were removed, and I hope this encourages more thoughtful decision-making in the future.”
Daily Hive reached out to Walmart Canada for a comment, but did not receive a response.