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Lululemon: Please Steal Our Stuff—We’ll Fire Anyone Who Tries to Stop You

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We’re truly entering the theater of the absurd in America right now where criminals are lauded and those who try to stop them are vilified.

Case in point: the recent rash of organized retail theft at yoga pant purveyor Lululemon in Atlanta, Georgia. The company’s response? Did they make any effort to stop the thieves, or did they crack down on those who try to stop them?

They’ve answered loud and clear, firing two employees who dared clap black at a group that routinely robs the store of its high-end merchandise.

The looters had hit the same outlet a dozen times prior, but this time two female employees had had enough, with assistant manager Jennifer Ferguson telling them, “No, no, no, you can march back out.” The looters were undeterred, however, and knowing that they probably faced no consequences in today’s world, simply came back for more. “Seriously? Get out,” the frustrated former employee said.

“Chill, b–tch, shut your ass up,” one of the robbers responds. The women watch the thieves get in a getaway car but never tried to physically intervene.

So why did they get fired? For daring to speak to the robbers, and for calling the police…Which is against company policy. No, I’m not kidding:

“We are not supposed to get in the way. You kind of clear path for whatever they’re going to do,” Ferguson told 11Alive.

“And then, after it’s over, you scan a QR code. And that’s that. We’ve been told not to put it in any notes, because that might scare other people. We’re not supposed to call the police, not really supposed to talk about it.”

Watch:

While the yoga pant paradise might not have her back, Ferguson’s husband Jason does, writing on Facebook:

I am more than proud to announce that my wife went into “fight’ mode.” She protected herself and the other employees and the store by yelling at them to get out. She defended her space and her people.

This is where my blood begins to boil. These are two exemplary employees, both leaders and looking to advance within the company. And what was their reward? They were immediately terminated without mention of severance or any financial consideration.

According to Jason, the women were told it would “look bad for Lululemon to be the company calling the police.”

The company claims that its policies have been put in place to keep workers safe. Don’t tell that to employee Rachel Rogers: “We didn’t really feel protected or know what else to do,” she said.

Did calling the police help? Well, three men were eventually apprehended and charged with theft by shoplifting and theft by receiving stolen property.

The explosion of retail theft in America has reached epidemic proportions, with viral videos of smash and grabs posted regularly. We’ve discussed some of the reasons behind the dangerous trend: cashless bail laws, “defund the police,” and woke, soft-on-crime district attorneys who seemingly have no interest in protecting the public order.

But the stores and the retail chains have to start doing their part as well. It’s probably wise for untrained employees not to get entangled with criminals who may be violent and armed, but to fire two workers just for telling the looters to leave? That’s shameful.

Retail chains are losing billions every year. Why not put a little money aside for a few armed guards at the door? I think the criminals might be a little less brazen if they knew they might be facing down the barrel of a gun.

More:

Major US Retailers Warn the Shoplifting Epidemic Keeps Getting Worse

Revolving Door: 327 Crooks Account for a Third of All NYC Shoplifting

Lawless LA: Insane Video Shows Flash Mob Raiding 7-Eleven

Major US Retailers Warn the Shoplifting Epidemic Keeps Getting Worse

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A number of U.S. industry associations have sounded the alarm that retail theft continues to increase despite their efforts to strengthen loss prevention and enhance employee security.

David Johnston, an executive with the National Retail Federation, the world’s leading trade organization, claims that inventory losses due to retail theft skyrocketed to $100 billion in 2022, adding that this number is projected to rise further.

“There have been employees and customers injured,” he says in a new interview with Fox Business. “There have been employees killed while these shoplifting events are taking place,” he added.

Jan Kniffen, CEO of retail research firm J Rogers Kniffen, told Seeking Alpha that social acceptance and reduced penalties for offenders are major factors driving the increase.

I would contend that social pressure has fallen to modern day lows. There is no embarrassment when people around you find out you aren’t paying your bills or that you are stealing goods from a store. So, the bad news is that shrink is now normalizing across the country, especially in cities.

She continued: “The legal penalties for theft have the likelihood of apprehension have fallen dramatically. This is a societal problem that really accelerated during the pandemic. But, it isn’t going away.”

Executives from Foot Locker, Kohl’s, Walmart, and Target, which is currently facing a backlash over its launch of an LGBT childrens clothing range, have also voiced their concerns over the financial damages they’ve incurred due to theft.

“I would just say that again [theft] has been a multi-year dynamic industry, we are not immune to it, it’s increasing. You’ve heard Target talk about it and others, and so it’s having an increased impact on Foot Locker,” Foot Locker CEO Mary Dillon said last week, according to Fox Business.

“We’ve seen a significant increase in theft from stores and usually through this lens of an organized retail crime type of action, affecting more apparel certainly than footwear, where we only have one item out, but apparel is affected,” she continued.

Target CEO Brian Cornell also said in a call with investors this week that the issue is having a major impact on the company, shaving off approximately $1.2 billion in profits this year alone:

Beyond macroeconomic challenges, we continue to contend with significant headwinds caused by inventory shrink, building on a worsening trend that emerged last year. While shrink can be driven by multiple factors, theft and organized retail crime are increasingly urgent issues, impacting the team, and our guests and other retailers.

The problem affects all of us, limiting product availability, creating a less convenient shopping experience, and putting our team and guests in harm’s way. The unfortunate fact is, violent incidents are increasing at our stores and across the entire retail industry. And when products are stolen, simply put, they’re no longer available for guests who depend on them. And left unchecked, theft, and organized retail crime to grade the communities we call home.

Meanwhile Walmart CEO John Furner has also admitted it is becoming “really challenging” for the company—and the industry as a whole:

We’re going to continue to take the steps that are reasonable and required to make sure we’re protecting our customers, protecting our associates, and protecting our assets and inventor.

It will take communities stepping up and enforcing the law to be able to bring this issue back under control.

A lot of the retail theft takes place in major, Democrat-controlled cities such as San Francisco, New York, and Chicago. Many companies such as Walgreens and Whole Foods have been forced to close stores as a result.

Despite some arguing that it is a way of balancing the economic scales, and that many offenders cannot afford necessities as a result of the rampant inflation, shoplifting ultimately has a detrimental effect on society. Some of the most serious consequences include increased prices for other consumers, job losses, and a negative impact on economic growth across the country.