Whole Foods On Blast For Wrongfully Accusing A Black Man Of Stealing $200 Worth Of Groceries

Social media fans pointed out the hurt in the man’s voice and highlighted how the manager nor security never apologized.

A Black man went viral on social media for accusing a Whole Foods manager in Los Angeles of racial profiling and stealing.

The video was posted on TikTok by @dwat803 who showcased what happened after he was accused of stealing $200 worth of groceries because he used his own bags – a common practice in Whole Foods locations. A group of men, one claiming to be the manager and two others being security decals, approached the man for his receipt and once proven he had one, the unidentified man decided that he was going to return the items due to the accusation.

The man who claimed to be the manager, Josue, can be seen telling the Black man, ”don’t come back.” Telling his side of the story, Josue said he approached him because “that’s our product right there.” Instead of going back and forth with the manager, the man decided to simply return the items and get his money back.

While returning the items, the Black man made the staff read the total amount and the way he paid out loud. The total was $233 and was paid with his debit card.

Things were seemingly calming down but then Josue continued to mock the customer saying, “well they shouldn’t have been in the bags.” The manager claimed that security saw the customer taking things from the hot bar section of the store.

As the video went viral – with over one million views – the man received overwhelming support from viewers celebrating his decision to return the items. “Finally! Someone who returned the items and took their money elsewhere,” @lulabell said. Other viewers pointed out how Whole Foods never asks for receipts like Costco and BJs Wholesale locations do.

Other social media fans pointed out the hurt in the man’s voice as he continued to express his frustration over the whole ordeal and highlighted how neither the manager nor security apologized to him. “I can feel his pain of disrespect on his voice. And it was proven that he was not stealing,” @ms.chevy103117 wrote.

“Why security on his back. Whole Foods you have to do better than this!!!!”

According to Business Insider, the grocery giant has been experiencing a slew of thefts as Americans are taking their frustrations out on Jeff Bezos, whose company, Amazon, partners with Whole Foods. Thieves have openly admitted to stealing from the store as a way to get back at Bezos for allegedly stealing from them. If a billionaire can steal from me, I can scrape a little off the top, too,” one thief said.

This isn’t the first time Whole Foods has been caught up in racial discrimination or tone deaf allegations. An employee filed a class action lawsuit against the grocer for implementing a dress code prohibiting employees from wearing apparel with visible “Black Lives Matter” verbiage on it following the death of George Floyd.

In 2021, the company CEO, John Mackey, came under fire for claiming that Americans don’t need better healthcare but simply should adapt better eating habits.