Shopping Under Suspicion in Canada: Results From a Nationwide Victimization Survey on Consumer Racial Profiling

This study was devoted to an examination of Canadian experiences being criminally profiled in retail stores. Using one's race or ethnicity as the primary method to identify potential shoplifters is referred to as consumer racial profiling (CRP). Relying on a national sample of Canadians, the research investigated four aspects of CRP. First, the research investigated the frequency of CRP experiences among the Canadian population. Second, the research studied the characteristics of CRP victimizations among Canadians. Third, the study also investigated whether the frequency of CRP victimization varied by race/ethnicity. Finally, the research explored whether CRP victims reported their encounter to an employee in authority following their victimization. The findings provide evidence that CRP is a national problem in Canada—with non-White racial/ethnic groups reporting the highest levels of victimization. In addition, despite their negative CRP experiences, very few victims decide to pursue remediation. The implications of the results along with future research directions are also discussed.