Lush staff intimidated/accused my dd and her friends

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Dd 15 had Christmas money/ vouchers to spend in Lush£30. Went in with 2 lovely girls from school and were smelling perfume testers. Approached as per usual by sellers, one girl didn’t turn round to listen and carried on smelling. None had anything in their hands.Seller then told said girl off for being rude and said it looked suspicious. Went over to speak to other staff who collected in a huddle and started watching them. Girls left as felt uncomfortable but returned as wanted to spend their money and also to complain to manager.Told her what happened and that they wanted to make it clear that they weren’t shop lifters. Dd said she was very fake charming and excused their behaviour by saying they get shoplifters in the store. Manager proceeded to follow them round the store pestering asking if they wanted anything in particular/if they had decided what they wanted to buy yet even whilst they were paying for bath bombs. All other staff doing the same and taking in turns to follow the girls with eye signals. Then all followed them to door and watched them leave the shopping centre through window.

Dd is devastated/ mortified and vowing never to return. She used to love Lush. I’m so pissed off as this was a cheer up trip. They work hard at school and my dd doesn’t generally have money to spend in there.Upstairs in her room now really upset. I could bet your bottom dollar I wouldn’t have experienced the same and surely you need good grounds to accuse and intimidate anybody.

Should I complain to head office?

Unfortunately, teenage girls are frequently the shoplifters of cosmetics/bath products, so the staff has probably been told to check on them, particularly in groups. Lush, as you know, have a policy of bugging customers and being invasive.

It is worth writing to head office, but I doubt it will make the staff in that ranch change their ways.

I think your daughter should complain to head office - help her write the email. No need to feel devastated or mortified - let her express some righteous indignation. After that, she (and you) should accept that there’s not much more to be done.

Sadly some teenagers are shoplifters and get a bad reputation which makes it difficult for other lovely teenagers to go shopping. However I hate Lush and the fact they never leave you alone.

However I probably would complain to Head Office as there is no need to be rude to them, and would point out that teenagers are customers too. Is there another Branch they can go to?

But intimidating anybody like that without evidence is appalling. Dd now too scared to go back. She didn’t do anything.

Shoplifters happen.
They are often teenagers.
YABU

So basically if you’re a girl and go shopping with friends you can be treated like shit.

Absolutely complain, she should not have been made to feel uncomfortable. Every Lush I've ever been in has over enthusiastic sales people who pounce on you as soon as you enter the shop, which to me is really off putting and actually makes me want to leave the shop as I feel I'm being watched. Maybe its the way they are trained? Used to love Lush but they are so over priced now, a simple bath bomb is £3-4, makes taking baths with their products cost a fortune! Your DD should write the complaint letter herself.

Manager proceeded to follow them round the store pestering asking if they wanted anything in particular/if they had decided what they wanted to buy yet even whilst they were paying for bath bombs

I thought they did that to everyone?

One of the reasons I don't frequent.

They were so overwhelmed and intimidated they returned and spent their money anyway.

I know shoplifting happens, I used to work in retail.

Lush staff are all over you all the time, I don’t think that’s specific to your DD

Yes, went back thinking foolishly they’d be listened to and apologised to.Thinking it was the mature thing to do. Instead they got more of the same even whilst making a purchase.

What did they accuse them of?

I hate Lush, they have a massive fanfare when you walk in, it’s mortifying.

I have never been accused of being suspicious, been followed, had groups of staff watching and taking in turns to follow, escorted to door and watched through the window.

Yes unfortunately a lot of shop staff treat groups of teenage girls like thieves regardless of any evidence.
My group and I were fooled around Woolworths many years ago.
We were also asked to move along in a shooting precinct as we were blocking a walkway. Perhaps we were but a group of mums with buggies a few steps away were blocking it far more and were ignored. I told the security guard we would be happy to move if he went up to the group of mums and asked them to move too. He didn’t.
I would complain if I were you. X

Lush accuses my 15yo of stealing when she put her item that she had paid for at the next till along form me in my bag. I was stunned that they were so stupid as to assume she would steal, in front of both them and me!

Never set foot in the shop since

First shop assistant accused them of looking suspicious( who knew smelling testers was suspicious) then went off to tell other staff who huddled in a group watching them and then spread out to follow.

OP has the voucher been spent? I'd complain, I hate it when kids are treated like this. Maybe put this on their twitter?

This won't be the last time she's followed in a shop. Many shoplifters are teenagers/young adults.

It's only been in the last few years, in my late 20s, that I've stopped getting suspicious looks in places like Boots . I must have a dodgy face.

Reassure her that it was nothing personal. Tell her it will happen again, because staff in these shops are trained to keep an eye on young people who appear to be browsing, and there's not much she can do about it apart from being polite and well mannered.

For all the PP's saying that because Lush find that shoplifters are often teens - how does that excuse the unwarranted rudeness of the initial interaction? -
Approached as per usual by sellers, one girl didn’t turn round to listen and carried on smelling. None had anything in their hands.Seller then told said girl off for being rude

Since when was it ok to open a conversation by telling your customer that they are rude for not jumping to attention? Lush are renowned for being intrusive & in your face - not every customer wants to or should be expected to engage in enforced sales patter.

and said it looked suspicious
Very rude, not to mention bigoted, of the shop assistant herself, to accuse a person with empty hands of looking 'suspicious' purely for not turning round to engage in the assistant's wittering.

It's bullying, pure & simple & I agree OP should help DD draft a blistering complaint email.

That is horrendous. Who trains their staff to believe that anyone who ignores them looks "suspicious"?

As much as I think @recrudescence's idea is really good, in the circumstances you have described I wouldn't fancy your daughter's chances of Head Office taking her complaint seriously. Therefore if you want to complain (which I strongly believe you should), it would probably be better coming from yourself.

I used to love Lush and it's ethics. Now I hate going in there because you are pressured and pestered all the time. I popped in to my local one (main city centre location) on a Sunday in December and despite the store being absolutely RAMMED, my fiance and I were approached by 3 different members and staff. One of them approached us and asked us if we needed any help, twice in 90 seconds.

I'm really sorry your daughter had a shit time and I hope she is feeling better soon.x

Surely teenage girls are their core demographic. Nobody else in their right mind would spend £5 on a bath bomb.

There's a whole ton of horror stories on social media about Lush and its working practices.

I has the misfortune to work in my local store after leaving university donkeys years ago and have vowed never to shop in there again.

I'm sorry your DD had such a shit experience OP.

I think you should complain to their head office and via their social media.