Store Defends ‘Racist’ Price Blunder As Black Doll Priced Cheaper Than White
A shop had been forced to defend itself after a pricing blunder appeared to show black dolls at a lower price than white ones.
A picture of the dolls next to each other in the Shoprite Shopping Mall in Maun, Botswana, appeared to show the white doll selling for 149.95 ZAR (£7) and the black doll selling for 99.95 ZAR (£4.74).
One outraged shopper tweeted the picture to the company, writing: “Please explain why is a black doll cheaper than a white doll? Black people are cheap?”
However, the store insisted the price was simply a “blunder”, with the ticket for a teddy bear mistakenly placed under the black doll on the shelf.
Outrage: One tweeter demanded answers from Shoprite (Twitter)
They said in a statement: “It is regrettable that the incorrect display of the price for a toy in a Botswana store has erupted into a racial storm on social media in South Africa supposedly implying that a black doll is inferior to a white doll.
“The fact of the matter is that in Shoprite Maun in Botswana the price card of 99.95 for a plush bear was moved to underneath the Cutie Baby black doll displayed next to it.
“It’s cost is 149.95, exactly the same as the white counterpart.”
Blunder: The price was actually for a teddy bear (CEN)
The company also lashed out at those who tried to turn the price into a racial issue.
They added: “Shoprite immediately acknowledged the display error and corrected it.
"The mistake was recognised by many on social media but others took the opportunity to turn it into a racial matter and spreading the sentiment, linking a price tag to racism.”
