Lululemon Backlash After Firing Staff Who Stopped Thieves: 'Woke Go Broke'

Lululemon is facing claims of being "woke" after firing two of its female employees for attempting to stop shoplifters openly stealing from an outlet in Peachtree Corners, Georgia.

According to a statement provided to local media, Jennifer Ferguson and Rachel Rogers were fired by the apparel store for breaching company policy, which says workers should not put their safety at risk to stop thieves. Some users on Twitter labeled the company "woke," with one writing: "@lululemon another #Woke supporter, now wants to be tolerant with thieves?... It's just crazy."

The sportswear brand is just the latest company to be accused of going "woke," following similar backlashes against firms including Bud Light—which has faced a boycott over a partnership with a transgender influencer—and Target, over the retailer's LGBTQ+ pride range.

Some social media users likened Lululemon to Bud Light and Target, calling for a boycott, but this time the focus of the ire was not a marketing campaign.

In footage from the incident, played on NewsNation on Tuesday night, men in masks and hoods can be seen storming into the store and grabbing bundles of clothes. "No, no, no, you can march back out," a voice off-camera says.

The men then appear back by the front door to the store as the woman holding the camera approaches. One then dashes back in to take more clothes—which he is successful in doing—while the woman attempts to stop him running out again.

"Seriously, get out," another store worker says. "Chill b****, shut you're a** up," one of the thieves responds. With the two women having blocked entry to the store, the three men run off into the distance with bundles of clothing items.

Local news outlet 11 Alive identified Rogers, an employee of five years, as the person who caught the robbery on camera. Ferguson was the assistant manager of the store at the time of the incident.

"We are not supposed to get in the way; you kind of clear path for whatever they're going to do," Ferguson told the outlet.

The two employees said they were subsequently let go without severance pay. "That was my sole income," Rogers told 11 Alive, adding she was now relying on her savings to pay her bills and had filed for unemployment benefits while seeking another job.

Several outlets reported that the thieves had since been apprehended and were facing felony burglary charges, citing the Gwinnett Police Department.

In a statement, a company spokesperson said the two women "were terminated for knowingly violating our zero-tolerance policy related to physically engaging with the perpetrators which put their lives and the safety of our guests and other employees at risk."

"We are grateful no one was hurt during this altercation," they added. "At Lululemon, our people's safety is our number one priority, which includes an absolute zero-tolerance policy for our employees engaging with guests in a way that could put themselves, or others, in harm's way."

Social media users, however, criticized the company for punishing workers who attempted to stop shoplifting from continuing and more items being stolen.

"Lululemon has a policy of NOT pursuing shoplifters in their stores," Joey Mannarino, an internet personality and self-described political strategist, wrote on Monday, in a tweet that has since been viewed nearly 67,000 times. "So, they just announced that their clothes are now free?

"Well, don't ever pay for Lululemon again. They're having a 100 percent off sale all day, every day. NICE!"

"Lululemon should be the next Budweiser, Bud Light & Target to be added to the anti-woke list of brands that should be boycotted for allowing the looting of their products to go on and fire the employees who stand up against them," one Twitter user said.

"I suppose Lululemon has a 'woke' store policy of offering the smash and grabbers a free gift-wrap?" another speculated, adding the hashtag #BoycottLululemon. "Another 'Woke go Broke' company sealing its own fate," a further user wrote.

Others expressed their outrage at the original claim, which Lululemon denies, that the two employees were fired for calling the police. The company stressed to multiple outlets that its policy is for staff not to intervene, but to call the police.

However some expressed sympathy for the company, noting that its policy placed the safety of staff over the security of its products.

Newsweek approached Lululemon via email for comment on Wednesday.