Faced with the financial fallout of a never-ending global pandemic, but still wanting to keep an eye on brown customers, some Canadian businesses are preparing to offer ‘Premium’ racial profiling to Indigenous shoppers.
“Do we want to continue to draw business and weather this storm? Yes,” said Bianca Pura, owner of Winnipeg-based gift store River City Trading Company.
“But do we also want to follow Indigenous shoppers around, watching their every move like hungry seagulls? Also yes.”
Racial profiling is now being offered in ‘tiers’: Bronze level sees customers simply watched from cameras or by staff. Silver level includes staff watching, plus physically following Indigenous customers or even checking their bags at checkout.
“Gold level is the Cadillac of racial profiling,” Pura told reporters. “With Gold level racial profiling, we’ll watch you, follow you to your car with a dedicated security guard, check your bags, and even use a full-body scanner before you leave the store, like ones you see at airports.”
The Canadian Retailer Businesses Association said it’s important that as the world changes, racial profiling does as well.
With Covid-19, several businesses have found ways to even offer curbside racial profiling.