To feel as though I've been judged as a potential shoplifter

[101stNC]

I was in boots and thought I'd get myself a BB cream whilst in there collecting a prescription.

As I'm browsing the make-up kiosts looking at the options I can see the female security guard(?) has left her position near the door to come to the make up isle and stood at the end of the isle watching me closely. After a couple of minutes she approaches me and says that due to coronavirus testers aren't available which is fine by me as I had no intention of opening any of the creams anyway

She walks off back to the end of the isle and continues to watch me closely. I choose the one I want and make my way to the tills around the other end of the shop, I stop to pick up the dummy my daughter dropped and when i looked up the same employee is following me through the shop.

She only buggers off once she has seen me pay for my items.

I wanted to address her and ask what the issue was but as soon as she saw me leave the cashier she walked out of sight.

For context I'm 26, casually dressed (trainers and leggings) and have my little girl in the pram. I'm not a drug user and don't look scruffy (I hope!)

I phoned my DM to have a moan and ask whether it has ever happened to her, she said no despite the fact she regularly uses boots, Superdrug etc.

Today has reminded me of a separate incident where the same thing happened in a shoe shop, again where I was casually browsing to then buy.

I'm offended and embarrassed that this is the impression shop keepers get of me, what is the likely reason? Age? Pram? Trainers?

It's absolutely not the case that this happens to everybody as confirmed by the multiple friends I've asked since. She looked at me and made a judgement.

WIBU to complain or is that overkill?

I once had a temp job there and they check staff regularly too and a lot of stuff is taken by customers ( in our branch anyway ) but shoplifters come in all shapes , siZes , ages , races etc etc
I agree it does make you feel small though and like if you go into a expensive shop in your casual clothes and they overlook you because you can't possibly afford that £100 dress coz your in your primark leggings !!
I always want to do the pretty woman but can't afford to buy half the shop

It's the pram, you'd be amassed at what gets hidden in them, in my supermarket we often watch people put shit loads under baby, in hoods/underneath baskets and try walk out
We once watched a guy try to hide a drill, batteries, a travel mug and some baby milk under a newborn looking babys blankets (they were in a carrycot type bed on the pram), we stopped him trying to walk out and he said he forgotten they were there, yeah right

Try not to take it personally, she's just doing her job and you weren't stealing

I get followed round shops as well quite regularly and always stopped at the airport and although I know I've done nothing wrong it's a horrible feeling
Every holiday I have been on I have been stopped on either outward on in journey , I must have a guilty looking face

A similar thing happened to me. I once stopped a guy in the street to ask him the time. Before I got the words out, he said "No" and rushed off. I was curious so ran after him and asked him why he did that, he said, "I thought you were going to ask me for money."

For context, I lived in a big house in Hampstead and had 2 DC in private school. I didn't need money from a stranger.

It did, however, cause me to look at how I present myself. I was quite scruffily dressed bohemian-looking and unfortunately people often assume that if you're scruffy, then you don't have any money.

You were also next to high value, small products which thieves target. That's why batteries and razors are sometimes security locked on the shelf or located behind the till.

Shoplifting is a profession - some of them are very well dressed.

It's the pram and in retail usually things are hid inside the pram. Possibly a issue they might have in that particular shop.
Makeup is often stolen I was told working in retail with accessories like prams, some make a scene to try avoid being caught too. backpacks can draw them to shop lifters
Maybe she is new and needs to be less obvious, a good security person is less obvious, often it wasn't till the police arrived I knew it was a shoplifter being targeted.

Race, appearance can be all sorts as she will learn, whatever it's not the issue the millions stolen is.
I'm often asked to please get that for me,, I seem to always look like a shop assistant while out shopping...

It's horrible when it happens but you can't blame the shop staff, they're just doing their job.

It could be that you look young for your age? My friend used to work in a department store beauty and perfume dept and they were told to look out for young mothers with prams particularly, which is disgusting but I'm sure they have cause for concern.

I'm 30 but look like a 12 year old boy with no makeup on, I've noticed the days when I've gone into town with a clean face, comfy clothes and the cheap pram instead of the nice one that I get a lot more attention from shop staff. I guess to them, I look the stealing type.

I used to work in retail many years ago. If the advice to security has remained the same I’d say it was the pram. However, we used to be told to watch for people coming in with empty bags, but nowadays lots of people come in with them. The bag policy must make it easier to pinch stuff.

Security guard in Local small tesco watches me like a hawk after an excruciating indindent when I scanned and bought a few small items, tapped to pay contactless and walked Out. I was wearing noise cancelling headphones and hadnt realised the contactless payment hadn’t worked. The checkout assistant had called after me as I sauntered out and the guard had to follow me and give me the tap. All happened really quickly but was mortified

Definitely the pram, when DD was a baby I used to get followed round Poundland by the same security guard every time I went in with the pram. If I was going to shoplift (I'm not) it would be from somewhere better than Poundland 😂.