Rita Seymour, a 79-year-old great-grandmother, has been banned from every Sainsbury's store in the UK following a series of incidents at her local branch in Hook, Hampshire. She is now pleading to have the ban overturned, citing that her nearest alternative supermarket, Tesco, is a 20-minute walk from her home, compared to the five-minute walk to Sainsbury's.
Background of the Ban
Sainsbury's issued the lifetime ban after what the company described as a "number of incidents over time" at the Hook store. The decision was communicated to Seymour via a letter handed to her after she was refused entry on a visit following a dispute. The ban also extends to Argos stores, which are owned by Sainsbury's.
Seymour, a mother of one, grandmother of four, and great-grandmother of two, has lived in Hook since 1981. She typically spends between £80 and £100 on her weekly shopping at the store.
The Dispute
The most recent incident occurred earlier this month when Seymour attempted to purchase a EuroMillions lottery ticket. She claims she had to ask the staff member four times before receiving a response. When the employee eventually responded, she accused Seymour of being rude and called management, who further accused her of insulting staff and "pinching food."
Seymour recounted: "She went to take a picture of me, and I pushed her camera out of her face. I said, 'I've done nothing wrong here, you're not taking pictures of me'. She was flinging her arms about."
Seymour's Response
Seymour denies any previous incidents and insists she is "not that sort of person." She stated: "I'm not interested in money. However, I live five minutes away from the shop, and I would like this ban lifted." She added: "I'm not that sort of person, I never cause trouble, I never do any trouble – they're saying it to get out of everything. I want to clear my name."
Seymour's husband is disabled, and she emphasized the inconvenience of having to travel further for groceries.
Sainsbury's Statement
A Sainsbury's spokesperson said: "We want everyone to feel welcome when they shop with us, and our colleagues work hard to create a positive in-store experience. We take any form of abusive and inappropriate behaviour seriously. Following a number of incidents over time, a decision was taken to withdraw this individual's right to shop at our Hook store. This action was not taken lightly, but the safety and well-being of colleagues and customers always come first."
Legal Context of Supermarket Bans
Supermarkets, as privately owned businesses, have the authority to deny service and prohibit entry to their stores for almost any reason, provided the ban does not violate laws against discrimination based on protected characteristics. Common reasons for bans include theft, shoplifting, abusive or aggressive behaviour towards staff or customers, and antisocial behaviour such as vandalism or causing major disruptions.
