Lululemon should be ashamed!
I am writing to formally express my deep disappointment and concern regarding an extremely upsetting and discriminatory experience I had at your Burlingame, California location (1304 Burlingame Ave).
I recently purchased two outfits from Lululemon's online store for a special event. Unfortunately, due to shipping delays, the items arrived after the event had already passed. As per Lululemon's return policy, I decided to return the unworn items in their original packaging to the Burlingame retail location.
Upon arriving at the store, I approached the register and opened the package in front of the sales associate. Immediately, the associate informed me that she could not process the return because the clothing "had a smell." This was confusing and deeply frustrating, as the items had just been opened in her presence--sealed from the original online order--and had not even been worn or removed prior to that moment. When I expressed my confusion and asked how I could be held responsible for an alleged odor from items that had just been unwrapped, the associate suggested that I "take the clothes home and air them out," which was both unreasonable and dismissive.
I then requested to speak with a manager. When the manager arrived, she did not greet me or acknowledge me respectfully, but instead curtly repeated that the items could not be returned. I asked her if she had personally smelled the clothing, and how such a determination could be made without direct inspection. Rather than offering a reasonable explanation or attempting to de-escalate the situation, the manager abruptly asked me to leave the store. When I calmly asked why, she called the police on me--a disturbing and disproportionate response to a customer seeking help with a standard return issue. I stood in silence as this unfolded, and to my knowledge, law enforcement did not respond, likely because there was no threat, conflict, or reason to escalate the matter to that level.
This experience was not only unprofessional but deeply humiliating, racially charged, and unfair. As a Black woman, I could not help but feel that I was being treated differently because of the color of my skin. The tone, assumptions, and outright refusal to address the situation reasonably--coupled with the decision to involve the police for no justifiable reason--suggest implicit bias and discriminatory practices at this location.
Lululemon promotes a brand identity based on inclusivity, wellness, and respect. My experience in Burlingame was the opposite of those values. The behavior of both the sales associate and the store manager was entirely unacceptable, and I am requesting the following:
1. A formal investigation into the actions of the staff at the Burlingame location.
2. Immediate retraining on cultural sensitivity, racial bias, and de-escalation for all store employees.
3. A formal apology for the discriminatory treatment I received and for involving law enforcement without cause.
4. Clarification on how Lululemon plans to ensure fair and respectful treatment of all customers moving forward.
I sincerely hope that my experience leads to meaningful reflection and changes within your organization. No customer should ever be made to feel criminalized or unwelcome--especially based on race. I look forward to your response and to seeing Lululemon uphold the values it claims to represent.
Attached are the employees who were involved. read more