Nothing ruins your day quite like a heavy dose of racism and discrimination. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened to a shopper who visited the H&M at Coronado Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The video begins with two shoppers being confronted by a security guard who leads them to a woman identified as the store manager. Without much explanation, the manager immediately tells them that the store will be refusing them service. When asked why, she simply replies that there is no reason, but that is what the store has decided to do.
She then takes the clothing the cameraman had been holding. Confused and unsettled by the sudden and unexplained treatment, the shoppers ask for a reason. The manager refused to offer any explanation, repeating that it was just the store’s decision. The two Albuquerque shoppers, understandably frustrated, push back and ask whether H&M plans to kick everyone else out too. Once again, the manager sticks to her vague answer.
Eventually, when questioned further, the H&M manager slips and says they had seen the two shoppers, who are both Black, in the store before. The shoppers deny ever having caused any trouble or being involved in any previous incidents. In the end, the two leave the store, finding the entire situation absurd and discriminatory.
Of course, they did not stay silent. They quickly uploaded the video online, where it gained significant attention. The response was so widespread that H&M itself took notice. Shortly after, the company issued a public statement and confirmed that the Albuquerque manager seen in the video had been fired.
Many people online were understandably outraged by what happened. While it is reasonable for stores to be cautious about theft, accusations should be based on evidence, not vague suspicions fueled by someone’s skin color. One Redditor wrote, “This is such clear and obvious disgusting discrimination and racism. She’s either awful at hiding it or not even trying. Glad she got fired.”
What shocked people even more was the manager’s comment suggesting the two shoppers should leave before things “got violent.” Given that the shoppers were calmly asking questions, this remark felt like a baseless and racially charged assumption. One user commented, “I feel she cooked herself when she told them not to get violent. She’s just assuming the worst with zero proof.”
Others admitted that while they were initially unsure of the situation, the moment the H&M manager brought up violence, despite no signs of aggression, it became clear that the incident may have been racially motivated. It was not just poor judgment, but a clear display of bias.
