Was denied alcohol sales at LIndsay, Kent St. store while attempting to buy wine for my wife. I do not drink and haven't for approaching 2 years now. This approx. 1pm last Friday
Approaching the till I accidentally bumped my huge cart into the end. It seems that one act was sufficient for cashier to determine that I was "impaired". She then began talking about something to which I could not hear or understand because she's wearing a mask, there's 3/4" plexiglass barrier between us and I'm a bit hard of hearing. I smile and nod, assuming that she is merely making small talk. I only know something's very wrong when she removes my wine from the conveyor and does not ring it through.
I ask for an explanation where she announces, in front of other employees and customers alike, that she has deemed me "impaired" and therefore will not sell me the wine.
I immediately ask to speak to the manager, at which point a woman approaches me and talks to the cashier, talks to me again repeats cashiers justification that I appear "impaired".
When I ask her if SHE feels that I LOOK impaired, she dodges the question, fidgets around and finally says that I do have a "faint odour of alcohol" about me and based on this final determination will not sell me the wine.
.
Manager clearly threw me, the customer, under the bus to support the cashiers' ignorant narrative. I also challenge anyone who applies hand sanitizer upon entering the store to NOT have a faint odour of alcohol on them.
Management and some staff at this store need serious retraining. Manager should not be in their position if they are just going to support their staff and disregard customers concerns.
I have complained through Loblaws complaints department and I will not be letting this ago.
Best suggestion for anyone visiting this store? If you plan on purchasing alcohol, do NOT use hand sanitizer when entering and make sure you walk very very straight, especially if you have a walking handicap that ignorant people flag as drunkenness ... or you too may be accused of public intoxication and shamed accordingly in front of staff and other customers.
Just disgusting! Sadly, Google will not allow me to post this with 0 stars in my review. One star is a gross exaggeration of my customer experience.