‘As a legal assistant, you did exactly what you should have.’
A woman visiting a New Jersey Lululemon claims a worker wrongfully accused her of removing security tags. She returns the next day to serve the store a “preservation of evidence” document.
TikTok creator Toi (@frost9santana) is from New York but was shopping at a New Jersey Lululemon on June 10. She discusses what happened in an 18-minute video posted to her account.
According to Toi, she was delivering a package to family members in Yonkers, New York, when she decided to stop by Lululemon to try on a different color of an outfit she already owns at home. A search on the app led her to the store in Closter, New Jersey.
What Happened to This Woman at a New Jersey Lululemon?
Toi says she picked out the outfits she wanted to try on and estimates that she spent approximately 10 minutes inside a dressing room. Although it didn’t necessarily register at the time, she does recall one of the associates approaching the dressing room multiple times. She now interprets this as a red flag.
Toi says that after she finished trying on the outfits, she left the dressing room with a handful of items she intended to purchase and another handful that she was going to put back.
“I literally felt myself stop because I see a cop car come, and then I watched the cop car park in the parking lot—the same parking lot as me,” she says. “And actually, they parked diagonally across from me.”
At that point, Toi had seen enough. She says she abandoned all of her clothing, walked out of the store, and got into her vehicle. A few minutes later, she says an officer approached her vehicle and told her he was going to detain her.
Did an Officer Detain This Shopper at a New Jersey Lululemon?
According to Toi, a customer service representative told the police that there was video evidence of Toi popping tags off of merchandise. Not only does Toi deny that it happened, but she also says she didn’t even have enough time to do anything before the staff called the police on her.
“I feel racially profiled,” she says. “I feel as though the moment that I stepped in there, I was being watched … and suspected of theft immediately. And I think the only reason that they could’ve come to that conclusion is racial bias.”
Ultimately, Toi says police did not find any merchandise or tags on her person, and they did not cite her or take her to jail. However, she is still extremely upset about what happened and is in the process of consulting several attorneys regarding her options.
Woman Serves Lululemon ‘Preservation of Evidence’ Document
The next day, Toi decided to return to the store and deliver a “Preservation of Evidence” document. She recorded the exchange and posted it in another video.
In the video, she is greeted by a woman who identifies herself as the manager. The pair has a brief discussion about whether Toi is recording. After that, the manager asks her to leave and leads Toi outside.
Outside, Toi explains that there was an incident at the store the previous day, and she would like to give the woman the document, which presumably requests that the store preserve the alleged surveillance video that the employee said showed Toi removing security tags.
The manager takes the paperwork but refuses to sign it, give her name, or provide Toi with a corporate phone number at her request, instead directing her to look online, which the woman says she already did.
Black Shoppers Often Experience Profiling
This is far from the first time a Black shopper questioned whether a retail store was specifically targeting them with shoplifting claims. A 2015 survey found that Zara had “disproportionately identified as potential thieves” its Black customers.
And the problem is not exclusive to one brand. According to the International Business Times, it stretches across retailers in the U.S. In fact, this is such a widespread issue that experts believe brands need to address it before it costs them business in the long run.
In terms of the human cost, the IBT reports, these discriminatory practices cause Black shoppers like Toi incredible stress, potential legal troubles, and anxiety while shopping or just living daily life.
AllHipHop contacted Toi and Lululemon via email for comment. We will update this story if either responds.
@frost9santana Serving Lululemon with a Preservation of Evidence. The retail associate stated Lululemon has footage of me removing security tags. That footage doesn’t exist because that never happened, but I need any footage of that incident to not be overwritten. @ABC7NY @FOX 5 NY @CBS New York ♬ original sound – Blanco Frost Santana
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