The BMW MINI car dealer was exposed, and the Shanghai exhibitors distributed ice cream only to foreigners. (Picture / flip from Weibo)
MINI, a brand of BMW (BMW), recently participated in an exhibition in Shanghai. Free ice cream was distributed on the spot. Unexpectedly, the public broke the news that “only for foreigners.” Immediately after the video was exposed, public grievances were aroused, and BMW was forced to issue an urgent statement to apologize. It is reported that the two girls who were distributing ice cream at the exhibition site at that time have resigned afterwards, and they may not appear at the booth again in the future, which sparked discussions.
Mainland MINI car dealers exhibited in Shanghai on the 19th. Some people witnessed the staff distributing ice cream. If they saw mainland people asking for it, they would reply “I have finished.” The eye-catching attitude caused netizens to criticize “racial discrimination is really serious”, “worship of foreign countries and foreign countries is shown to the fullest”, “does BMW still want to mix in the Chinese market?”, “it’s just an ice cream, BMW’s image is ruined.”
After the incident, the share price of BMW Group Germany was also affected. On April 19, the closing price was 103.78 euros per share. However, at the opening of the market on the 20th, it fell all the way, even falling below the 100 yuan mark, with a drop of 4.33% to 99.29 euros per share. The market value has evaporated by nearly 3 billion euros (approximately NT$100 billion). In this regard, Mini China said, “We sincerely apologize for the unhappiness caused by the lack of meticulous internal management and the negligence of the staff.”
A few days ago, MINI issued another apology statement via Weibo, deeply sorry for the negative experience and mood brought to everyone by this incident, and emphasized that there is no discrimination, “We also reserved a very small part for our hard work on site. My colleagues, the 4-5 “foreigners” you saw in the video are colleagues, and they wear employee badges.” As for the two girls who were handing out ice cream at that time, BMW MINI staff revealed that the two have left and will not be in the future. Reappear at the stand.
