Particle.news
Download on the App Store
12 ARTICLES
·
2w ago

Kroger Pulls Juneteenth Cakes After Critics Label Designs 'Lazy'

Apologizing for the display, Kroger confirmed it removed the products in response to shopper outcry over its holiday guidance.

A customer walks into a Kroger grocery store in Houston, Texas on September 9, 2022. A Juneteenth flag flies in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 2024.
An alleged Kroger employee commented on Reddit, acknowledging the design flaws while expressing mixed feelings about the criticism directed at the staff. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Overview

  • A TikTok video posted June 17 by @blaq.monalisa showed Atlanta store cookie cakes with crude icing phrases like “Free @ Last” and “June 19 FREE,” and has attracted over ten million views.
  • Kroger acknowledged the decorations were inconsistent with its guidance, removed the cakes and addressed the issue with store teams and the customer who posted the original clip.
  • Online commenters called the designs tone-deaf to Juneteenth’s significance and compared the incident to Walmart’s 2022 Juneteenth ice cream pullback.
  • A Reddit user claiming to be a Kroger employee cited overworked staff and last-minute efforts to stock shelves as factors behind the sloppy decorations.
  • The episode highlights rising expectations for cultural awareness in retail promotions and the speed at which social media can drive corporate corrections.