M&S issues apology after Muslim cashiers declines to sell alcohol

Department store Marks & Spencer has apologized

after a Muslim sales assistant refused to sell a customer alcohol in a London store.

A Marks & Spencer spokesperson said: "Customer service is our number one priority. We regret that in the highlighted case this was not delivered to our usual standards. We would like to apologise for any resulting confusion and reassure our customers that this was an isolated incident.”

Previously anonymous customer told British newspaper Telegraph that they were “taken aback” when an “extremely apologetic” Muslim cashier said she was unable to serve them when they wanted to purchase a bottle of champagne. The customer was asked to wait until “another member of staff was available.”

At the time, the company stated that staff could chose to decline selling certain items based on their religious background. Consuming alcohols is forbidden in Islam and certain followers refuse to work with it or handle it. This caused a series of outcries from the public, with several consumers threatening to boycott the department store.

Last night the company updated its statement and officially apologized for not adhering to its internal policy. The company spokesperson added: “M&S offers an inclusive, secular environment for employees and customers, working closely with any employee with religious beliefs of any denomination that restrict specific food or drink handling.”

“We aim to manage this so that all employees work in departments that allow them to offer great customer service at all times. Requests are considered on a case by case basis and may lead to an individual working in a department where conflicts wouldn't arise, such as in clothing or bakery in foods.”

“This policy has been successfully implemented over many years and does not compromise our ability to offer the highest level of customer service,” concluded the spokesperson.