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Feeling embarrassed and humiliated, she left the store without
purchasing anything.
Heather Albert, a 36-year-old wife and mother of a toddler,
had lost over 80 pounds with the help of surgery and diet. To
reward herself for all her hard work, she decided to purchase a
pair of Lululemon pants at one of their retail locations in Utah.
“So much has changed since losing weight,” said Albert. “I have
more self-esteem, more self-confidence and most importantly, I
feel healthier overall. I decided to channel my inner warrior and
brave the retail store.”
But as Albert looked through the clothes, she overheard the
sales associates whispering about her – the only customer in
the store, allegedly saying, “Do we even have anything in her
size?” and giggling.
“I was humiliated and felt that I was not welcome in the store.
Moreover, I felt that I didn’t have the right to be shopping there because
I’m close to the upper end of their size ranges,” said Albert. “I
was so embarrassed, I just paid for the two items I had in my hand
and left the store as quickly as possible. I wanted to be out of there.”
After a year and a half of dedicated training and eating
right, 21-year-old Jamie Kraig had gone from a size 18
to a size 8. Ready to purchase a pair Lululemon pants
that until now she “never felt she deserved,” Kraig confidently
walked into a Lululemon retail store in Ohio.
“I transformed my body, and therefore transformed my selfesteem,”
said Kraig.
Having tried on a pair she liked, she then received unsolicited
feedback from store staff.
“Although I was pretty content with the pair I had on, several
employees gave me unwarranted suggestions on different styles
better suited for my body based on assumptions they drew
from looking at me,” said Kraig. “I never stated that I had issues
with friction between my legs, or felt concerned about the
amount of stomach control that the pants provided. Unwanted
comments were made to me about finding leggings that would
cater to these problems that I didn’t even know I had. It was
clear that the employees assumed that I had these concerns
based on my size.”
HRPROFESSIONALNOW.CA ❚ AUGUST 2017 ❚ 21