Consumer Racial Profiling & Bad Shoplifting Stop
Sobeys to withdraw appeal of discrimination decision
One of Canada's largest grocery store chains says it intends to withdraw an appeal of a human rights decision that found a Sobeys employee discriminated against a black customer -- but a group of 19 churches in Nova Scotia says the move doesn't go far enough.

They want to cut a cheque, they want to withdraw the appeal and say 'bye bye' and have no admittance of their wrongdoing," said Rev. Lennett Anderson of the African United Baptist Association of Nova Scotia.

A Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission independent board of inquiry determined last year that staff at a store in Tantallon, N.S., discriminated against Andrella David in May 2009 after falsely accusing her of being a repeat shoplifter.

Sobeys appealed that decision, sparking protests from the black community and even prompting Nova Scotia's first black lieutenant-governor Mayann Francis to speak out -- saying she has been the victim of racial profiling while shopping.

Sobeys declined an interview request, but in a short email statement Tuesday, spokeswoman Shauna Selig said the company expects to finalize a resolution "shortly" that will include the withdrawal of the appeal.

Anderson said his association voted over the weekend to boycott Sobeys until it apologizes and acknowledges that the issue of racial profiling is widespread.

"We made it very clear to our delegation that we would only boycott until such a time as Sobeys acknowledges the problem of racial discrimination. They have yet to say it exists. There's almost a denial, as if this is in my head," said Anderson in a phone interview on Tuesday.

In April, an independent board of inquiry ruled that David would receive $21,000 from the company. It said Sobeys must provide commission-approved training for its employees on racial profiling and discriminating based on race.

It also ordered Sobeys to issue a written apology to David acknowledging that the actions of Sobeys were "discriminatory and inappropriate."

No such apology has been issued, said Anderson.

A 2012 research study by the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission identified the negative experiences of shoppers from visible minority groups as a significant problem throughout the province that is disproportionately affecting visible minority shoppers, the commission said in a news release Tuesday.

The commission would not comment on the David case Tuesday, but added that it is working with retailers to deliver education materials and training to their employees to raise awareness of this issue and the harms caused by consumer racial profiling. ctvnews.ca

Fast fashion isn't fast enough
Apparel retailers need to react more quickly and effectively to what consumers want, according to speakers at the Canadian Apparel and Textile Sourcing Show in Toronto, scheduled for Aug. 22-24.

"Long lead times are a thing of the past - telling the consumer what she wants is not the way to win anymore," according to global industry expert Jeff Streader, who will deliver the keynote speech at what is being billed as Canada's first apparel and textile show, at the International Centre.

"No major significant event at all exists in Canada that helps local entrepreneurs, retailers and sourcing professionals connect with manufacturers and sources overseas in the apparel and textile sector," said Prescott. He said more than 190 factories from 11 different countries will be represented at the event.
How to speed up response time is a big theme on the agenda.

Making data-based decisions and reacting swiftly to consumer demand is the way of the future, Streader believes.

"It's really about keeping your finger on the pulse of who is going to your website, what is her or his age, what are their page views, what are their click-throughs, what are they interested in, what items are they buying - these analytics are so powerful and it's making brands better."  thestar.com

Montreal adopts plastic bag ban
Montreal city council passed a bylaw on Tuesday that will ban the distribution of thin plastic bags at stores on city territory starting in 2018.

The Retail Council of Canada (RCC) denounced the city's decision, calling for a moratorium on the ban until a report by Quebec's Environment Department is completed at the end of the year. The council said it believes that a ban on plastic bags may be worse for the environment in the long-term. montrealgazette.com

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