Walmart in Damage Control Mode Over Racial Slur in Online Product Description
Retailing colossus Walmart has engaged in rapid damage control after an embarrassing slip was noticed on their website.
A product description for a “stretchy weaving net weaving wig cap” included the color selection of “N*gger Brown” as an option, a reference to the most explosive racial pejorative of them all.
The description was brought to Walmart’s attention by a Twitter user:
https://twitter.com/KwaniALunis/status/886817391367393281
The cap wasn’t a Walmart product but actually was offered by a third-party vendor.
How does this even happen? https://t.co/NpTOqg3HJw
— New York Post (@nypost) July 17, 2017
The New York Post reported “N-word used on Walmart website to describe product color”:
Walmart was apologizing on Monday after an appalling description of a product by a third-party vendor made its way onto the retail giant’s website.
The retailer was slammed early Monday after the color of a netting weave cap — used as a protective layer between a person’s hair and sewn-in hair extensions — on its site was described as the color “N— Brown.”
“Hey @Walmart what are you doing,” Twitter user Kwani Lunis tweeted with a screenshot of the problematic product listing.
New York Times best-selling author Roxane Gay condemned the retail chain, tweeting that dropping the N-bomb on their site was “so far past unacceptable.”
Shortly after the controversy erupted, Walmart removed the racial slur and replaced the “Add To Cart” button with a message stating that the item was no longer available.
“While we aim to provide accurate product information, it is provided by manufacturers, suppliers and others, and has not been verified by us,” a disclaimer provided below the product read.
A Walmart spokeswoman later apologized for the listing in a statement to The Post.
The corporation blamed it all on the vendor but one has to question how well that they do quality control on products to ensure that they meet Walmart standards.
God only knows what else is out there on the vast Walmart online site.
It could happen to anyone, anytime and anywhere. Walmart is not that foolish, and not that careless. Blame the third party to whatever degree pleases you. Your effort to smear Walmart is childish, not fearless!
I am a customer, not an employee or stockholder.