Have you ever been followed around in a supermarket by security for no reason

[0nloop]

I have and as a poc it's usually other security poc who are doing the following. I find it disheartening, I have never nicked anything from a shop in my life and don't need to, I have the funds to afford to buy food and toiletries and trust me being followed was happening way before the cost of living crisis began. I don't act any different to the average joe or Jane shopping in day for example Tesco/Sainsbury's - I don't usually have an issue in say M&S and anyways they sell better quality stuff.

Has this happened to anyone else? Btw I'm usually shopping with my baby in pram and my other daughters - so I'm usually distracted in the shop but it's becoming a common theme.

I have had mental health issues in the past and just had a baby so my hormones are all over the place but stuff like this can tend to play on my mind.

All the time in one department store. I have never stolen anything in my life; and never would, but I must looks really shifty, or damn sexy 🤣
They are wasting their time, not mine, so I ignore them and hope no one else is stealing whilst they are following me. Maybe they think I’m someone famous, or I have a thieving doppelgänger.

Put yourself in the position of the security guard. They're bored. They're unlikely to get any job satisfaction in terms of catching a criminal. The have a 12 hour shift to fill. Can you think of any reasons they might appear to be watching/following you?

This happened to me many years ago. Firstly, there were no baskets. Secondly, I was doing my usual indecisive thing of picking up all the different toilet rolls while I decided which one to have. When I got to the till and paid, this man (I can only assume the assistant manager) came up to me and hissed: we've been watching you the whole time. I'm not a poc but I was young so maybe that's why. Recently (ie much older) I'd scanned my shopping and then couldn't remember what to do next and walked out without paying. They were totally chill about it when I came back later and said: yes we saw you on the camera and we thought you looked distracted (and then apologised for keeping me waiting!). Plus ça change plus c'est la même chose.

I never do, I used to work in retail so I think I give off “staff” vibes almost.

However I did have a random aldi experience whilst I was a student! It was my first time visiting an Aldi. I walked in to get lunch but could not find anything I wanted (vegan). As I walked out moments later, an Aldi staff member came RUNNING out of the shop and turned to look at me, smiled, then walked back inside. It was weird. I assume he thought I had taken something but realised his mistake. Anyway I felt offended cause I could certainly afford aldi and have never set foot in once since. There’s my petty Aldi boycott story

Yup all the time. White 42, but scruffy looking. I am ADHD though, it means I can be in there ages going over the same aisles, then going back in myself, picking things up and reading them before putting them back and immediately forgetting what I read and picking it up again. My behaviour can be perceived as odd.
It feels shit regardless and I've never had the balls to say anything

I haven't experienced this myself. I am not a poc. I'm pretty sure those facts are related especially given that friends who are poc have shared with me experiences similar to yours.

I've gone into shops dishevelled looking after big nights out on booze/drugs etc, also at times when I clearly couldn't afford anything beyond yellow stickers, down to my last brassic £, and never ever been followed. Only reason I can think is because I'm white. Which doesn't help you OP, I'm sorry.

I guess if you want to challenge these types, the catch-all phrase is "can I help you?" I always understand that to mean "what are you doing here?" which includes "what are you doing in my space?" Would that be an option for you?

All the time. I have a terrible habit of talking to myself (and gesticulating) while shopping so must look like some type of crazy/ crackhead.

This happens to me all the time. I don't know whether it's how I look, or the fact I am indecisive when shopping. I live in city centre so if I often take a backpack when on foot and likely to do a bit of food shopping. So that could also be it. But it drives me nuts.

Bloody security guards🙄

Happened to me several times when the children were in pushchairs. Irritating and I too have never stolen anything ever. I’m white but the children aren’t…I think it was the pushchair though.

I've not been followed by security but I bought a child's dressing gown years ago at Woolworths. I saw the person on checkout take a security tag off of it. I paid and as I was leaving the store an alarm went off. I looked around to see if it could be anyone else but I was the only one leaving the store. A security man came running up to me asking to see my receipt. I showed him and he looked at the dressing gown and found another tag on it. I had to go back into the shop with everyone staring at me to have the tag removed. I was mortified even though I had done nothing wrong.

Glad to know I'm not the only one even tho if your innocent it shouldn't happen at all,IME its usually shops like Lidl, Tesco express and Sainsbury's local this happens to me in, my partner is white and has noticed security following me around and only stopping when they see me pay! I think one day I'm going to give them a good ear bashing... it's not nice when your with your kids and some weird security man is following you around for no good reason.

Yes. I used to work in Manchester City centre. Me and my friend used to have our dinner hour at the same time and we spent most of that time in the Manchester Arndale.

For whatever reason (we most definitely weren’t shoplifters) BHS security always followed us round the store. We were only 18 or 19 and we thought it was funny. We used to go in every Friday and give them the run around. It kept us entertained and someone in a job. Happy days 🤓

I was once shopping by motorcycle - I had soft panniers and a backpack, and had to ensure everything I bought would fit. So I put said panniers and backpack in the trolley, and my shopping into them. Unsurprisingly this attracted the attention of the security guard, who was not discreet about following me. I made a big show of emptying my containers at the checkout and he backed off.

Yes, it used to happen to me a lot when I was younger. I think I must look shifty! I sometimes wanted to say "you know, if you weren't wasting time following me around looking at me sideways, you might catch some shoplifters!"

I'm neurodiverse and can't help but look shifty - apparently. Admittedly, I can study products intensively and compare to an abnormal degree in order to 'get it right', but yeah, I attract suspicion and feel very uncomfortable in shops. So I don't shop - what I absolutely need I get online and I'm much better off as a result. The only way to educate the fuckers is to hit them in the pocket, op

It wasn't unusual to be followed when I used to go about with a large rucksack a lot. It was quite frequent in the M&S near the office.

On the one hand, I understood. The rucksack had plenty of pockets if I had wanted to stash stuff, and that's what thieves often use. On the other hand, it was a bit ridiculous. The rucksack was clearly already full and so obviously heavy that you could see I could barely carry it, let alone make a run for it.

Similar experiences here unfortunately and now my grown-up DD gets the same.

We both give off scruffy, odd vibes however whenever I’ve witnessed shop lifting, it’s always been confident, well-dressed types.

Had an awful, awful experience in Wilko where I was followed by a whole security team. The irony is I probably have more money that all of them out together - so no need to shoplift!

They seem to have no awareness of the profile of types of people who actually shop-lift.

This happened to me and DC the other day in Tesco. Big shop. Security popped up everywhere we did. I laughed it off. I'm not an organised shopper so often have to go back on myself forgetting to grab stuff. It made it all the more obvious. It is makes any difference I am not a poc and he was.

Excuse my ignorance,but what is this 'poc' that's been mentioned several times?

Yep. White, professional woman. Had it in my 30s and 40s. It is unnerving.

Hardly ever, I'm so sorry you are subject to this bias (bias at best, racism at worst).

My DC's babysitter when I lived in Surrey was POC and she and her sisters were constantly stopped for "random checks" when driving, and their white friends had never been stopped. Bloody awful.

Yes, but more when I was a young mother with young children. I've never stolen anything in my life from a store and never would. Not the supermarket either, but more general department stores. Once I was looking at children's pjs and the woman just stood there staring. It was quite annoying but I figured she didn't know me and was just doing her job. Strollers are often used to hide items, or so I'm told.

It hasn't happened in recent times, maybe middle aged women are seen as more trustworthy, but I can often tell who the store detective is. There's not as good at hiding it as they think. A few years back in the make up department of a pharmacy the store detective was clearly checking me out while pretending to shop herself. I know make up is a high risk item. I didn't have a clue what I was doing with the item I needed, so left the area and came back with an assistant for help. This seemed to relax the store detective somewhat.

Person of colour.

@ALongHardWinter it means people or person of colour it’s an American term that I personally hate. I am mixed race and will continue to call myself that.

I have been followed once when I was wearing my DS baseball cap as I had not had time to wash my hair.