“The racism is next level.”
A Toronto resident recently recorded a video showing jars of ghee locked behind glass at a local grocery store.
The footage showed a No Frills grocery store, which is located somewhere in the neighbourhood of Scarborough.
The resident appeared to be very shocked by the sight of the locked items.
She said: “They done locked up the f**king Ghee guys. What have you guys been doing?”
The user did not specify the exact location of the store where she recorded the now viral video.
Similar videos have since surfaced from other residents who were shopping in the Brampton and Mississauga areas.
One Canadian Pakistani TikToker posted a video questioning whether the security measures were truly necessary for the store.
She asked: “No Frills is it ever that serious?”
Loblaw Companies Limited confirmed that the decision to lock the products was strictly based on high theft.
The company provided an official statement to explain why it chose to lock these specific grocery items.
“Retailers have had to introduce solutions to help address this issue. In our stores, that includes measures like securing certain high theft products in locked cabinets.
“These decisions are based on product level theft trends and store specific conditions.”
@lmswjht no frills is it ever really that serious??? #brampton #ghee #ramadan ? Locked Up – Akon
Ghee is a type of clarified butter which is an essential ingredient in many traditional South Asian recipes.
People often use this product when they are making parathas, which are a very popular type of flatbread.
Many viewers suggested the new security measure specifically targets products that are mostly used by racialised minority groups.
One user noted:
“Funny they never lock up soy sauce, ranch, Tabasco. Only black and brown products.”
“What could be the reason?”
Another user added that the situation feels targeted towards specific members of the local community in Ontario, saying: “This feels targeted.”
Some people pointed out that the timing is suspicious because the holy month of Ramadan is here.
This incident is not the first time a major retailer has been accused of profiling shoppers through security choices.
Walmart previously faced intense criticism for placing hair care products for Black customers inside locked glass display cases.
The giant retailer claimed high theft rates justified the policy rather than any form of racial profiling.
Shoppers expressed that needing help to unlock basic groceries ruins the shopping experience entirely.
A user declared: “I don’t have time to be calling grocery store workers to unlock shelves for me. This would ruin my day.”
Some social media users have even suggested that legal action should be taken against these big retail corporations. One said:
“We need to start suing these companies, the racism is next level.”
Another commented: “It’s disrespectful and not worth the price. Just let the ghee expire guys.”
It remains to be seen if the public outcry will force the retailers to reconsider their current security strategies.
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