More than 400 Clicks stores were forced shut by rioters from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in response to a controversial and racially triggering advert that was uploaded onto the cosmetic giant’s website.
Clicks takes corrective steps to undo epic blunder
While protests were threatening to spill over onto Tuesday, Clicks managed to secure a court interdict that prohibited the EFF from intimidating and threatening customers and store employees.
No new reports of store looting have surfaced, as far as we know. Moreover, according to news anchor Melanie Rice, Clicks Group is expected to announce that since the racially triggering blunder:
- all TRESemme products will be delisted and removed from shelves;
- local hair care products will be expanded to meet the demand in the cosmetics and beauty section;
- a senior executive responsible for overseeing third-party sponsored content has resigned; and
- all staff members involved in the publishing of the controversial advert have been suspended.
Did the rioting and social media protests help?
It goes without saying, the widespread revolt against the racist advert was the result of social media backlash. Countless prominent voices amplified the outrage and the EFF’s unorthodox methods may have left the cosmetic giant with little else but to act decisively.
However, the controversy surrounding Clicks did nothing to their value in the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). According to the latest stock value data, Clicks’ share price has, since Tuesday afternoon, rose by 2.52%.
Many factors contribute to this but the one clear indicator that stands out is the little to no impact the revolt has had on the cosmetics retailer.
This was the last statement from Clicks Group’s CEO Vikesh Ramsunder:
“I am deeply disappointed. I couldn’t believe this happened within our organisation because until Thursday I thought we were in the right direction around transformation we have done enormous work.
“More than 80-percent of our employees are black but what I have come to realise is that I have a lot more work to do in the organisation. I can always pass the bark to Unilever which I am not doing, I can do what I am doing in my organisation to make sure that this does not repeat itself,” Ramsunder said.
