Quickmart has broken its silence following public outrage over a viral video showing one of its managers at the Buruburu branch allegedly assaulting a young customer and her brother.
In a statement on Tuesday, August 5, the company acknowledged the incident, apologized to the affected parties, and announced disciplinary action, including the suspension of the staff involved.
Quickmart said it had taken the matter seriously and was cooperating with authorities in the ongoing investigation.
"Quickmart wishes to acknowledge the recent incident circulating on social media concerning a customer at our Buruburu branch. We want to assure our valued customers and the public that we are fully aware of the matter and are taking it very seriously," the statement read.
The company expressed regret over the distress the incident caused and extended a public apology to the victims and anyone else disturbed by the events.
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"Our foremost priority is the well-being and dignity of every customer who walks through our doors. We deeply regret the distress this incident has caused, and we sincerely apologize to the affected customer and to everyone who feels let down by this experience," the statement continued.
Quickmart said it does not tolerate any conduct that goes against its values and confirmed that it had immediately suspended the involved staff while a full investigation was launched.
"At Quickmart, our brand values are founded on respect, kindness, and integrity. We do not condone any behavior that undermines these principles. As soon as we became aware of the situation, we took immediate action by placing the staff involved on suspension while conducting a thorough investigation in collaboration with the relevant authorities," the statement added.
The supermarket chain added that it was taking further steps, including staff training on proper conduct and customer service to ensure such incidents do not happen again.
"We are committed to fostering a safe and respectful environment for all our customers and staff. To this end, we regularly conduct training and seminars to uphold the highest standards of conduct and service," the statement further read.
The company also said it had personally reached out to the victims and assured them of support and accountability.
“We have personally reached out to the affected customer to offer our heartfelt apologies, reassurance and support. We want everyone to know that their safety, dignity, and respect are at the core of everything we do at Quickmart," the statement concluded.
The statement comes in response to a widely shared video recorded at the Quickmart Buruburu branch, in which a manager is seen forcefully taking a phone from a female customer.
According to the victims, a brother and sister, they had walked into the supermarket to buy milk and went to the milk ATM section.
After waiting for assistance with no staff attending to them, they assumed the dispenser was self-service.
They paid for two litres of milk, received a receipt, and proceeded to leave.
However, a staff member stopped them at the exit, questioning why they had operated the machine themselves.
The matter was escalated to the branch manager, who allegedly assaulted the female customer, took her phone, and deleted a video she had taken of the confrontation.
Her brother then intervened to defend her, but he too was reportedly assaulted.
The situation escalated further when the manager allegedly called the siblings’ father, accusing them of stealing 57 litres of milk.
The manager demanded that the father pay for the claimed amount or risk his children being handed over to the police.
The father declined to pay and later went to the police himself to report the incident after being told to leave the premises.
The case gained widespread attention after the deleted video showing the manager grabbing the customer’s phone was recovered and shared online.
The siblings also posted a video statement detailing the ordeal, prompting public anger and putting pressure on Quickmart to act.
