A shopper says a Kohl’s worker kept following her around inside the store, so she decided to give the employee something to work for.
No one enjoys being followed around in a store. Even employees are against the practice. Recently, one Kohl’s shopper, Lena (@lenaonnat on TikTok), decided she’d had enough and began recording the worker who was allegedly following her around the store.
“Worker kept following me, so I gave her work to do,” says the voiceover on the video as the shopper pans her camera toward merchandise on the floor.
“I’m about to leave some [expletive] for her to pick [up],” she says before raising her voice to address the worker.
“You can come pick this up right here if you want to come follow,” she says.
The employee’s response is not audible, but then the TikToker addresses the woman directly.
“Hey you! You can come pick all that up if you want to stay here and keep on following me,” the shopper repeats.
The employee stammers and seems confused. She claims not to have noticed the shopper and says that she was focused on another area of the store. But the shopper has had enough.
“I don’t even want the [expletive] that I’m buying,” she says as she walks out of the store.
Viewers sided with the Kohl's shopper
The video received over 109,000 views. Commenters applauded the woman for standing up for herself.
“Love your approach to give them work. But on a real note I’m so sorry they did that to you,” one person wrote.
“I’m very pleased that you didn’t continue with your purchases.. they don’t respect you don’t spend your money with them,” said a second.
Other commenters shared their own experiences of being profiled while shopping.
“I walked into a kohls in New Mexico, instantly heard the manager describe what I was wearing. He found out that I also work at a kohls in the area,” wrote one person.
“I have spent a lot of money at Kohl's over the years and they still follow me. Guess I don't look rich enough to not be suspicious. It makes me mad,” said another.
Some suggested ways the woman could work the situation to her advantage.
“File complaint with corporate. They will send you gift cards. Thats what I do,” a fellow-Kohl’s shopper advised.
“I usually just ask them a bunch of questions and get them to hold my things or take things to the register,” another shared.
The shopper says she was profiled
Lena, a Black woman, accused the worker of profiling her in the caption of her video.
Racial profiling is unfortunately prevalent in retail spaces. According to the Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre, one example of consumer racial profiling is a consumer being "followed as soon as they enter a shop," which is what Lena says happened to her.
Racial profiling a customer can have a negative impact on not just the customer but the business as well.
Racial profiling can "erode individuals’ confidence in businesses, organizations and institutions. Individuals who are discriminated against as a result of racial profiling lose confidence in the ability of the institutions to serve them in a fair manner," per the the Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre.
It is also possible to sue over being racially profiled in a store. If you believe you are being racially profiled while shopping, the Law Office of Mark Nicholson recommends first—before taking any further steps—staying calm and documenting "the incident as much as possible.
"Remember the store's name, location, and the date and time of the incident. Write down the names and contact information of any witnesses who may have seen what happened. If possible, take photos or videos of the incident as evidence. Don't engage in any confrontations or arguments, as it can escalate the situation and may even make it worse," the Law Office of Mark Nicholson continues.
The Daily Dot reached out to Lena via TikTok direct message for further comment. We also reached out to Kohl's via email.
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