Walmart will no longer place "multicultural hair care and beauty products" in locked cases in any of its stores, the company confirmed Wednesday.
The practice, which Walmart says was only in place "in about a dozen" of its 4,700 U.S. stores, has received criticism for the implication that the customers who buy these products, largely people of color, can't be trusted. The cases must be unlocked by a store associate, and the products are usually then taken to the front of the store for purchase.
CBS Denver reporter Tori Mason was the first to disclose the change, after receiving an email from Walmart in response to her story highlighting a situation that people of color have long faced.
Walmart customer Judah Bell said the process is "humiliating" and is something she's noticed at select locations across the country, usually those in more "urban, less affluent areas."
