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?

Lush always follow you around. Even after you leave the store... or is that just the terrible fake pong?

Lush not kush, cooking and typing not successful

It was 3 not a big group.

Yorkshire Soap Company do gorgeous bath bombs and you can order online. Much nicer than lush

Hopefully she can spend her vouchers at a different branch - decide what she wants beforehand and get in and out double-quick.

Fwiw it happended to me in Lush a couple of years ago and i'm certainly not teenaged! I deliberately went at a quiet time so I could have space to choose something nice for friend in hospital -assistant pounced on me and I said v politely that I just wanted to have a browse. She then stared at me fixedly from the counter and when another assistant came through I looked up just as she was gesturing at them to 'keep an eye' on me.

I left and never go in there anymore, apart from anything else their prices are completely ridiculous.

YANBU and yes, while the staff need to be aware and watchful of shoplifters they’re not meant to eyeball anyone in that manner. At least that’s what I was taught when working in retail!

You just need to explain to your DD that unfortunately these types of stores are often frequency by not so nice teenage girls who steal. Also staff are under a lot of pressure from head office to stop shoplifting and hit sales targets, so she really shouldn't take it so personally.

Of course they're not going to go home and say they were misbehaving - it's always the stupid sales assistant that has wronged them.

In Lush, 99% of the time it IS the sales assistant being rude, harassing and inappropriate.

My dd 14 went shopping with one friend in London and had her bags checked on leaving Brandy Melville, and Urban Outfitters.

I think the fumes make them high in there cos they’re always on one!

I would complain yeah

Lush is a very weird shop. It's probably down to their policy of hassling everyone as much as possible.

Will check them out. Any other natural mail order companies?

You honestly wouldn’t get anybody more honest than my dd

Aw bless...

Yanbu. And you should complain higher up.

Watching them is. Fine, intimidating them isn't.........and as for the girl who didn't turn immediately. What if she was deaf? They just can't treat people like that.

Big drama over nothing. I'd just 'meh' and let it go. And I hope my dds would do the same.
I'm fairly confident the shop assistants would have a completely different side to this story.

And your evidence for that is?

Goodness, who would steal their stinking overpriced tat?

I'm not impressed with the profiling going on on this thread either. Men are the most likely people to commit assault but it's still unacceptable to start following them around "just in case" they attack someone.

Seems Lush are as keen to alienate their key demographic as virtually every other retailer

I didn’t even take an adult with me, when I was buying booze, fags and cocaine at 15, never mind bath bombs from Lush. Honestly.

Well you're only hearing one side of the story but I agree with PPs that Lush staff are a pain in the arse.

If you're that bothered why don't you go in and have it out face to face?

The totally natural skincare company in Whitby do gorgeous stuff, again order online

they follow everyone and try to push more sales.
I love their ultrabland cleanser, but fortunately a pot lasts 12-15 months, so I don't need to go in too often.

I agree, it’s intimidatory behaviour

As a 50 something I went into Lush once to look for something for my son’s girlfriend, assistants so overbearing I walked out without buying anything and never been back. I still remember being followed round a toy shop as a teen when I went to buy a gift for my baby nephew, was horrible as they obviously had me down as a shoplifter. I would complain to Head Office and suggest the staff undergo further training!

YANBU
It’s unlikely they would do anything ok ethos of it has been adult. Being 15yo isn’t a reason to be treated with less respect. Nor is the fact that they have shoplifters and these are often teenagers. The same sort of reasoning has been used about black people and murders. It’s still not appropriate to arrest black people wo any proof just because they are more likely to be a murderer
The reality is that Lush have not just lost some teenage customer but also the adults they will soon be.

Btw good for your dd to have stand her ground and asked to speak to the manager. I would have never dare doing that at that age. I suspect that the manager really didn’t appreciate to ‘be told off’ aka receive a complain from someone so young though.