Walmart Announces It Will Stop Putting Multicultural Products in Locked Cases

In a move that makes many people wonder what took so long, big box retailer Walmart is going to stop putting “multicultural hair care and beauty products” in locked cases at its stores.

The company confirmed the news on Wednesday and said the practice was only in place “in about a dozen” of its 4,700 U.S. stores. The practice had received major back lash as keeping these products behind locked cases implicated that minorities may steal them.

CBS Denver reporter Tori Mason disclosed Walmart’s new move, after receiving an email from the company in response to her story highlighting a situation that people of color have long faced.

Walmart customer Judah Bell said the process is “humiliating.” She added, “In my neighborhood Walmart, you have to go find somebody and then if they don’t have the key, they have to find somebody, so you’re just standing there waiting, sometimes for as long as 10 to 15 minutes.”

Walmart spokesman Lorenzo Lopez told NBC News that the company is “sensitive to the issue and understands the concerns” and would be implementing the change in policy “as soon as possible.”

“As a retailer serving millions of customers every day from diverse backgrounds, Walmart does not tolerate discrimination of any kind. Like other retailers, the cases were put in place to deter shoplifters from some products such as electronics, automotive, cosmetics and other personal care products,” said Lopez.

“It’s hard for a customer to dispute that but predominantly African American people are buying those products, so the assumption is we’re thieves,” Bell said. “I try not to shop anywhere where I’m assumed to be a thief.”

Disclaimer: We have no position in Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) and have not been compensated for this article.