Lush staff intimidated/accused my dd and her friends

[B1bbleBabble]

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?

Teenage girls might well be the demographic that people suspect of being shoplifters but they're also the demographic that is most likely to be excited by Lush shops. If the shop doesn't want teenage girls hanging round in there they need to change what they sell.

So just because most shoplifters happen to be teenagers we should treat all teenagers as though they are shoplifters?

Most rapists happen to be men. I suppose I’d better start treating all men like they’re rapists. FFS.

Usually evidence of shoplifting means that the person has at the very least concealed items to then leave without paying. The only way to prevent altogether is to watch folk like hawks, unfortunately shoplifters don't have labels, branding etc they can be anyone from all walks of life. This sometimes means those innocent amongst us also get watched, I'm fine with that.

I won’t shop there anymore (on my nono list) but I used to. The staff were always way too involved - jumping on you as soon as you entered the shop and trying to drag you off to a big sink for a demo of something. And they’d try to get into some long conversation with you, following you around. Do they train them to be irritating or just employ loud extroverts?

Anyway - ship is always full of teenage girls and the staff can watch from a distance and if they think they are up to no good, politely ask them to leave. Not get into a huffy ‘you are being so rude - to meeeeeeeee!’.

Ditch them - their stuff stinks, the bath bombs dye your legs blue/purple, petals block your plug hole (not a euphemism), and glitter gets stuck in your nethers (also bit a euphemism).

Treating all men like rapists, it's a case of being cautious until trust builds up, again they aren't branded and you often don't find out the rapist til they rape until then how do you know, this goes for everything theft, murder, fraud. You don't know until its to late so caution is exercised until trust is built etc

Well op I hope you have your details straight. Not sure how you can judge a situation and its detail without seeing it.

The shops CCTV may tell you another story.

You should complain, obviously their head office wouldn't want potential customers to be treated like criminals.
My friend works in Lush and their main customer base is young women.
The staff were over policing the situation.

They should have had an adult with them

🤣🤣🤣🤣🙄🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

15 YEARS old, not months. Don’t be so bloody ridiculous.

This sometimes means those innocent amongst us also get watched, I'm fine with that

Well I'm not because it's a waste of resources. Also, if they weren't deciding everyone was a shoplifter they could provide service to the people who actually need their help.

unfortunately shoplifters don't have labels, branding etc they can be anyone from all walks of life

Lush apparently think you have to be female and 15 year old. Not anyone.

dont complain.
just go in there in smaller groups

I can just imagine 15 year old DS going to the shops with his mates and me saying ‘hang on wait for me - mammas coming...’ (unless he wants my purse of course).

They were 3 of them @EnidBlyton. How much smaller can a group be?

Most rapists happen to be men. I suppose I’d better start treating all men like they’re rapists. FFS

If you look at the advice to keep safe, for women, while on line dating the advice is to treat potential dates as though they could hurt you.

@B1bbleBabble those poor girls, they didn't deserve this attitude but I do understand that girl groups are more likely to distract whilst pocketing stuff. If it was my daughter I'd be annoyed and want to hand them there arse! I'd consider you going in with your dd and speak with them and show your dd was going to spend her vouchers .

I have no idea how anyone can enter their shop let alone spend money there.

And have no idea how anyone could work there without ending up with breathing problems.

Hideous, hideous place.

As for fifteen year olds should be with an adult?

Complain then vote with your feet

@Fairyliz

In the early 80s the people who own Lush had another company who sold by mail order. I liked their stuff so saved up my Christmas money and put in a big order. They went bust and I lost all of my money which really upset me. Six months later they opened Lush.
I still hold a grudge 35 years later and refuse to enter their stores smile. So tell your DD to take her business elsewhere

That's awful! I loved CTG and remember doing a big order just before they went under - everything was half price. Luckily I got everything. I wish they'd bring back Smaragadine and Prince of Neroli,

@B1bbleBabble That sounds like a very humiliating experience for your daughter and her friends. An email to HQ sounds in order. Lush really are OTT with their harrasment of customers, but this is another level. Telling off your daughter's friend for not responding to the harrasment is not the way to engage with the public.

complain op.
they are an annoyance in Lush

Lush staff make an absolute song and dance about everything, I stopped shopping in there as it's embarrassing. I would say I'd stick to placing online orders but actually I'm not that bothered. It's one of those shops where it's better to have a look round in person. Shame the hardcore training they're given acts as a deterrent.

They are like this in the body shop too, right on you the minute you go in. Voted with the feet there too

I understand that shoplifters are a problem, but I hate the way some shop assistants act as though people are stealing their personal possessions. I really couldn't get myself so worked up about the possibility someone might steal something from a shop, (that is so over priced in the first place) I would embarrass them by following them around a store.

Having 1 member of staff keeping an eye on the girls would have been reasonable. Having all the staff muttering and watching in a huddle is intimidation and bullying. Complain.

dont complain.
just go in there in smaller groups

Isn't 3 people about the smallest your group can be to qualify as a group .......

I remember being followed once.

Actually early 20's (well 24!) but me and my friend did look a lot younger than our years.

Also Disney store. I'd left my ds in a cafe with his dad and friends DP. I was there getting stuff for baby ds. (Yes I know! Pfb!).

Approached asking if we needed help with anything. No thanks. Just looking really in case we see something. Approached again and again. Decide we feel intimidated and leave. Stopped at door and asked to check bags.

I said loudly and clearly "you've been stuck to my backside the whole time I've been in this store how do you expect I've managed to put something in my bag big enough to hold my purse and phone".

Manager then came over. Actually rolled her eyes at employee when she saw size of my bag 😂 and told me I'm free to go. To which I replied something along the lines of how gracious and don't expect me or hopefully anyone else of my friends and family to be returning soon when I tell them.

My teenage dd was treated similarly in another shop. I wrote a scathing email to their head office, and they actually rang me up to apologise! They also sent some vouchers in the post, and I believe that the manager and the staff member both got a severe bollocking - neither of them worked there for much longer.