A video of two Black girls being told to leave an H&M store in Albuquerque, New Mexico, without explanation has reignited conversations around racial profiling in retail spaces.
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In the viral clip, Nia and Noela calmly question why they’re being asked to leave. A manager repeatedly tells them that service is being refused but offers no clear reason. When asked directly, she says, “To be completely honest with you, I don’t have to have a reason,” and later adds that they had “been seen in here before.” One of the girls responded that she had never been in the store.
The encounter, which took place at the Coronado Center location in February 2024, prompted outrage online as many saw it as an example of discriminatory treatment.
After the video gained renewed attention this week, H&M addressed the incident publicly with a comment posted to its official Instagram page:
“We take the incident from February of last year at our Albuquerque store very seriously. Following the incident, we immediately acted according to our strict guidelines. The employee in question is no longer employed by H&M. We extend a sincere apology to the affected customers.”
