The brazenness of shoplifters in modern society is so common that most people do not often react when they see it.
Viral news and videos online feature some of the most popular retailers, like Lululemon, being a main target for petty and grand theft.
So, if you’re a customer or employee, it is important to understand what Lululemon’s shoplifting policy is, what’s covered, and more. This will include a detailed discussion about how they do not allow employees to get in the way of a shoplifter and their multi-faceted security system.
About Lululemon’s Shoplifting Policy
While Lululemon doesn’t list exactly what their shoplifting policy is, one incident of particular national outrage tells us all about it. In May of this year, 2023, three masked men marched into a Peachtree Corners store in Georgia.
They grabbed all the clothes they could carry. When it was clear they were making off with merchandise, two employees began filming and confronting them. The pair went so far as to follow the thieves out of the store.
They later called the police and law enforcement was able to apprehend the thieves. But, shortly afterward, these female employees lost their jobs without severance pay.
The video went viral along with the company’s decision to fire them for interfering.
Employee Theft Interaction
However, there’s another side to this coin. It’s important to understand that the employees knowingly and willingly violated Lululemon’s strict policy they call, “Employee Response to External Theft.”
From what we can amass per a CNBC interview with Lululemon’s CEO and other statements given by the fired women, Lululemon has zero-tolerance for employees getting in the way.
They are to make a clear path for the shoplifters and the company has specific security systems to handle theft.
What Is Admissible for Employees
When an employee notices a theft in progress, they scan a QR code and leave it at that. Employees are not to call attention to the situation in any capacity.
There are surveillance cameras in every store, some locations have security guards and they use various kinds of tracking technology on their merchandise.
What’s more, employees should not talk about theft openly with coworkers and guests present in the store. The company also instructs employees not to call the police and to act as naturally as possible. According to McDonald, the Peachtree Corners store employees knowingly violated this policy.
This isn’t to say that employees shouldn’t call 911 when it’s imperative to do so. If it’s during normal business hours, they should only call an emergency when someone is hurt by a shoplifter.
However, if an employee notices a robbery outside of normal hours, then they should call 911 after the thief leaves.
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Reasons for the Strict Policy
There are a couple of reasons for these strict regulations. The first is for the safety of everyone in the store, customers and employees alike.
Lululemon has had far too many tragic instances of employees getting hurt or losing their lives attempting to stop shoplifters. So, they adhere to it with the utmost seriousness and have no qualms about enforcing it.
While it may seem unfair for Lululemon to terminate the employment of those who try to protect their assets, human life is far more important. You never know what kind of person is attempting to shoplift. If they’re willing to break the law in this regard, there’s no telling what other things they’re liable to do.
Also, even if an employee stops a shoplifter and recovers the merchandise successfully, the criminal can sue the store and the employee.
This is especially the case if the thief incurred physical injuries during the encounter. So having these strict policies in place for employees prevents further legal entanglements.
Lululemon’s Anti-Theft Systems
The Vancouver-based retailer utilizes some of the best anti-theft technology available. One would think you’d get this information from Lululemon, but it actually comes from a jaw-dropping post on Tumblr. Here, a shameless shoplifter details their methods for stealing, specifically from Lululemon.
The whole thread speaks to the lack of care and morals many people harbor these days. But, it does indicate much of the technology Lululemon utilizes.
Aside from typical surveillance cameras and security guards at some locations, the company also uses security tags along with RFID technology.
RFID & Security Tags
These security and RFID tags mark and label the items stored in the Lululemon’s local computer network. Ideally, when a shoplifter leaves the store and an employee scans the QR code, this alerts the system and it puts the police on notice.
Also, when the customer leaves the door, sensors detect the security tags and sound an alarm.
But, it seems as though these tags are easy to remove. A simple trip to the dressing room can take care of that.
This means the tags don’t leave the store but the merchandise does. So, the effectiveness of some of these things is questionable for shoplifters who want to be subtle about it.
Yet, for smash-and-grab thefts, like the situation at Lululemon’s Peachtree Corners store, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tracking is invaluable for catching criminals.
Unfortunately, the company doesn’t detail how they employ RFID as an anti-theft system. But, it’s clear they do use it.
About RFID & What It Does
RFID operates by embedding or affixing a device to merchandise. The electromagnetic fields emitted by the device track the tag that contains information to identify the item.
This allows the company and customers to always be able to locate where it is and how many they have.
This gives companies more control over their inventory, allowing them to know where merchandise is at any given time. It also lets them see which products go quickly and helps to maximize profits while minimizing shrinkage.
When a shoplifter runs away with these tags attached, it sets off an alarm. The company and police are then better able to track down to recover both the shoplifter and the merchandise.
At Lululemon, the employee scanning a QR code sends out an all-points bulletin to the corporate headquarters and local law enforcement.
Please note we cannot verify this claim, but it does seem to be what happens.
It’s Not a Foolproof System
While Lululemon has an effective multi-pronged approach to theft without requiring employee involvement, it is not foolproof. As you can see by the Tumblr post, people will get resourceful and creative if they really want to steal something.
Yet in other cases, some thieves simply don’t care about the security measures. They’re going to steal regardless of anything and they will not let anyone get in their way.
One of the clearest cases of this is the surveillance video in NYC. It shows seven shoplifters getting away with over $30,000 worth of merchandise.
There’s a security guard but he does nothing to stop them as all seven of them waltz out the door unimpeded.
Although amazing to watch, the security guard did his job and followed Lululemon’s policy.
Conclusion
Lululemon will not tolerate employees getting in the way of shoplifters. The sports attire retailer specifically instructs them to take a hands-off approach.
The reason for this is simple: to safeguard everyone present in the store physically and legally. To paraphrase CEO McDonald, it’s just merchandise.
Besides, Lululemon seems to have several security measures in place to monitor shoplifting and stolen goods.
The use of RFID technology is changing the way stores approach shoplifting and Lululemon seems to be a forerunner with it.
Reference Sources
https://www.businessinsider.com/why-lululemon-fire-employees-who-stop-theft-2023-6