Calgary woman rejects Co-op apology after being followed by store detective

Calgary Co-op is apologizing to a black woman who says she felt racially profiled when she was followed through their Crowfoot store by an employee.

CBC News reported the story earlier this month — but at the time, Co-op wouldn't confirm the man who followed Adora Nwofor was an undercover loss prevention officer.

The retailer has since confirmed that he was.

Nwofor videotapped herself confronting a plainclothes loss prevention officer at the Co-op after she noticed him following her through multiple aisles in the store. When management finally came over to see what the problem was, Nwofor asked if the man following her worked for the store, a question they refused to answer.

"This person doesn't work for you? This person is not under any sort of consultancy to work for you? Because this person followed me," Nwofor says in the video.

Nwofor says she left the store upset about the lack of action by management in regards to a serious concern for her safety.

"It hurts me to say it, because that's what they thought, I'm just a black woman," Nwofor said through tears. "I'm nobody. I'm not important. I'm not even important enough for them to make sure I feel safe while I'm shopping."

Co-op apologizes

On Monday, Co-op released a statement. The release said they're proud to have diverse customers, employees and management, and they aim to deliver "an exceptional shopping experience for all."

"We recognize this was not the experience Ms. Nwofor had at our Crowfoot location and sincerely apologize," reads the emailed statement.

It goes on to say that employing loss prevention officers is a normal and necessary part of retailing, and any customer could be observed while shopping at a Co-op.

"Based on the information we have gathered in our investigation, the person that observed Ms. Nwofor was one of our asset protection team," reads the statement.

"While our actions are in step with our Code of Business Conduct and asset protection policies, Ms. Nwofor and our asset protection and store teams were uncomfortable during her recent visit. This is not ideal and we believe we can do better in terms of communication."

'Why wasn't anybody concerned about my safety?'

But Nwofor says she will not accept this apology and rejects the idea that this sort of incident is "in step" with what's normal.

"Every time I asked the question, 'why wasn't anybody concerned about my safety,' I get the answer that nobody was comfortable dealing with you. What does that mean?" she said.

"They're very concerned about their comfort and not mine. And I did nothing to make anyone feel uncomfortable."

CBC asked Co-op to clarify what it meant in saying that its staff was uncomfortable, and the company replied by email:

"Our team wants members to enjoy their shopping experience at Co-op and recognized this was not the case for Ms. Nwofor. We can sincerely say that we regret this situation occurring and that our team likes to be a part of positive member experiences."

'They already put me in the role of an angry black woman'

Nwofor says she feels this situation stemmed from preconceived biases toward black women.

"The terrified response that I got shows me that those people are not culturally competent. This is a race and gender issue. It's called misognoir," she said.

"Basically, they thought that I shouldn't stand up for myself and say anything because they already put me in the role of an angry black woman. Of course I'm going to be angry if someone is following me."

Nwofor says she feels that if someone is in the position to stop and confront people who are stealing, they should be able to have a conversation if they are confronted.

"We know that loss prevention runs up and catches people all the time stealing something. Why is it OK to engage in those interactions but it's not OK to engage in an interaction when someone is saying 'I feel uncomfortable,'" she said.

Co-op said it will be working with its asset protection team and store operators to ensure processes reflect its goal of providing a welcoming environment for members and a safe environment for staff.

Nwofor says she won't believe or trust Co-op until she sees policy changes made publicly, and apologies are issued in person, rather than through a blanket statement.