Lululemon Stands by Firing Employees Who Intervened During Robbery — Retail Bum

Lululemon CEO Calvin McDonald has affirmed the company’s decision to terminate the employment of two individuals who attempted to intervene during a theft at one of its stores.

The incident unfolded at the end of April 2023 at Lululemon’s Peachtree Corners store in Georgia.

In-store theft footage shot by an unknown source shows two individuals wearing hoodies and face masks swiftly entering the premises, seizing armfuls of merchandise from the sections nearest to the entrance, and promptly exiting the store afterward. In the footage, a female employee is observed near the entrance, in proximity to where the men can be heard repeatedly shouting, “Get out.”

“In this particular case, we have a zero-tolerance policy that we train our educators on around engaging during a theft. Why? Because we put the safety of our team and of our guests front and center,” McDonald said during a CNBC interview on Friday. “It’s only merchandise.”

McDonald stated that the employees were fully aware that their actions violated company policy as they actively interacted with the thieves, even going as far as pursuing them outside the store. Subsequently, authorities were able to apprehend three individuals involved in the incident.