A week ago, customers posting to the Schnucks’ grocery store chain’s Facebook page mostly had questions about, well, groceries.
That changed this week after news broke that the “Friendliest Stores In Town” are banning all solicitors, including cookie-selling Girl Scouts and bell-ringing Salvation Army fundraisers. And while you may have to wait for Christmas or cookie season to notice the lack of non-profits outside, the ban will have an immediate and conspicuous effect on the locations where union workers protesting the store’s labor practices have been picketing and handing out leaflets.
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See also: What it’s Like to be a Salvation Army Bell Ringer
Schnucks’ spokesperson Paul Simon tells the St. Louis Post-Dispatch the change is designed to “maintain and promote a safe, attractive, clutter-free shopping environment for our customers.”
“Schnucks has always been and always will be committed to community service and supporting organizations, entities and individuals in their community activities,” Simon tells the Post. “However, our primary obligation is servicing our customers by providing the most pleasant and convenient shopping environment. Because of this, we have decided to end the solicitation of our customers or distribution of written or other materials at our stores.”
But shoppers are accusing the grocery store chain of abandoning needy non-profits in a move to keep union workers from protesting Schnucks’ recent decision to lay off about 200 union warehouse workers and replace them with nonunion workers.
“I am starting to think their is something fishy going on at Schnucks (and I ain’t talking about the seafood department,)” Facebook user Suzanne Jackson posted.
Within hours, people started appealing the decision on the Schnucks’ Facebook page:
“This is complete and total bullshit,” posted Facebook user Rio Tilley. “Banning the Salvation Army Bellringers so you can not be bothered by your laid off union workers? Shame on you Schnucks! I’m sure Dierbergs Markets will be seeing more of me during the holidays, in fact I’m going to pick out a change jar right now.”
Boycotters have already spent months filling the comments section of every Schnucks Facebook post with messages such as, “Boycotting!” “Shame on you, Schnucks,” and “Just say no to Schnucks.” But news of the solicitor ban took the ire aimed at the store to a whole new level.
“And now you’re not allowing Salvation Army or Girl Scouts outside your store?” Facebook user Damian Cannady-Linder posted under a Ladue Schucks wine event post. “That puts an end to it for me.”
Contact Lindsay Toler by email at [email protected] or on Twitter @StLouisLindsay. For more from St. Louis Magazine, subscribe or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
