A Charlotte businessman is making headlines after opening the first Black barbershop in Walmart.
Earlier this month,Shaun “Lucky” Corbett, 40, celebrated the grand opening of the Da Lucky Spot, and the entire city came out to celebrate, including Charlotte’s Mayor Vi Lyles.
Corbett’s social work, community outreach and providing book bags to children returning to schools caught the attention of Michelle Belaire, the senior director of community relations for Walmart. According to reports, Belaire flew from Arkansas to speak to Corbett and he informed her of his desire to operate a barbershop in Walmart.
The rest, as they say, is history.
“I want to open a Lucky Spot in every inner city in America,” Corbett told reporters at his Walmart debut. “I want it to be the standard of what community barbering is.”
Walmart has never had an in-store tenant that wasn’t affiliated with a chain. The retail giant presented Corbett with a $25,000 check which is going towards Cops and Barbers, a program that aims to improve relationships between urban communities and the police. Corbett also wants to help put more young people through barber school.
“We’re excited to support the great work Shaun and his team are doing here in Charlotte by having them become a part of our in-store Walmart family. We hope the increased exposure and customer traffic of being in a local Walmart store will help them spread their message, mission and impact even further across the city,” Kate Mora, the Regional General Manager for Walmart in North Carolina told Spectrum News.
Excited by his feat, Corbett also said: “We’re living in a time where the community needs something to call their own. Lucky Spot Barbershop represents hope, determination, new beginnings and opportunity for those that have been told that they cannot do something. We are excited to be a part of such a game and life-changing opportunity.”
