Brief
Video shows shoppers at East London grocery store in gender‑segregated lines, investigation ongoing
Footage from Masala Bazaar in Chadwell Heath shows shoppers in lines split by gender; the store says it has no segregation policy and the cause is under investigation.
By Felo News Desk · Published
A video posted on TikTok on Sept. 28, 2026 shows shoppers at Masala Bazaar, a grocery store in Chadwell Heath, East London, standing in lines that appear largely divided by gender. Snopes confirmed the footage is authentic and not generated by artificial intelligence.
What happened
The clip, recorded inside the store, shows men and women queuing in separate lines, though other footage from different dates shows mixed queues. The TikTok user who posted the video also appears in a promotional clip for the supermarket.
What the reports add
Snopes noted that some social‑media users speculated the segregation might relate to shoppers' Muslim faith or cultural practices, while others claimed it reflected “Islamist migrants” imposing rules. The store’s management, contacted by Snopes, told the Daily Mail it does not have a gender‑segregation policy.
What was said
Snopes reported that the store’s management said, “We do not have a gender segregation policy,” as relayed to the Daily Mail. The TikTok poster’s commentary, archived, asked why “in the year 2026 you could be in the U.K. and have to stand in a separate line depending on your gender.”
How it came about
The video went viral online, prompting speculation on Facebook, Reddit and Instagram. Snopes reached out to both the TikTok user and Masala Bazaar for comment but had not received replies at the time of publication.
Key facts
- The video was posted on TikTok on Sept. 28, 2026. (snopes.com)
- It shows shoppers at Masala Bazaar in Chadwell Heath, East London, in mostly gender‑segregated lines. (snopes.com)
- Snopes verified the footage is real and not AI‑generated. (snopes.com)
- The store’s management told the Daily Mail it has no gender‑segregation policy. (snopes.com)
- Other footage from the store on different dates shows men and women mixing freely. (snopes.com)
What we don't know yet
- Why shoppers were standing in gender‑segregated lines in the Sept. 28 footage.
Sources
- [1] snopes.com — originally reported as “Does video show UK shoppers standing in lines separated by gender? We examined the footage”
