HomeGoods — Attraction in Lake Forest

On Thursday, July 3rd, 2025, around 4:30 PM, my wife, sister-in-law, mother-in-law, and my son visited the HomeGoods on El Toro Road in Lake Forest. What should’ve been a routine shopping trip—something my mother-in-law does almost daily at this store—turned into a deeply disappointing and uncomfortable experience for my entire family.

While browsing the seasonal items, my son picked up a Halloween skeleton they were putting out on the floor. An employee—believed to be named Claire—ripped it out of his hands, which is both unacceptable and inappropriate. Claire is white. My son is half Latino, and my wife and her family are also Latino. That dynamic, paired with the way this was handled, leaves a lot to think about.

My sister-in-law immediately reported the incident to the manager, but it was dismissed with zero accountability or concern. No apology was offered. No effort was made to make it right. Instead, they were treated like they didn’t matter—as if they were beneath being heard or respected.

To make matters worse, when they brought one of the Halloween skeletons up to the register, the cashier said, “We don’t have a price for this, so we’re just going to charge you $100.” It was a small, scuffed-up display item, likely worth $9 at most. At that point, they walked away and left without purchasing anything—a big deal for my mother-in-law, who shops at this location almost every single day. She won’t be going back.

I wasn’t there personally, but I can’t help but feel that things might have gone differently had I been, since I’m white. That reality alone is deeply upsetting.

This experience wasn’t just about poor customer service—it was about being treated as second-class citizens. HomeGoods needs to take a long, hard look at how this store is operating and ensure that all customers are treated with the dignity, respect, and fairness...

I love Homegoods, but the manager at this location has a poor attitude and is a poor representative of the company. I purchase three large stone pieces on my last trip here. These items were large and heavy, needing to be carried individually. I asked if they had a box that I could use to carry them in my car for ease and safety. The manager with the blonde pixie cut replied frustratedly, "No, we dont have any boxes because all of our goods come in bulk." Thinking she misunderstood my request, I clarified and asked if they have any generic boxes to use, not the boxes for these specific products. Again, the manager replied with a rude tone, "Again, no, we only sell bulk so we have no boxes!" She then made an incredulous face at me and rushed off before I could reply. She did not offer any alternative, nor assistance with carry-out. Do you really expect me to believe that at no point in your business do you use even a single smaller size box? Please...she just did not want to have to spend her time finding a box and her attitude proved it. It's illogical to believe you don't have anything to offer me other than a plastic bag for your expensive items. These delicate pieces didn't get shipped in a giant box together or they would all arrive broken. Please learn to treat your customers with respect. Even a polite answer would have...

Purchased a set of pots and pans, but one of the pots turned out to be too large for my needs. I returned to the store less than 12 hours after the purchase to exchange or refund that item. However, during the return process, I was met with resistance from the sales associate, Carla, and the manager on duty, Esperanza. They questioned me about a stain on the pot and made the return unnecessarily difficult, even though I had barely had the item for half a day.

I found this treatment to be rude and highly unprofessional. The employees’ approach to customer service was very disappointing and suggests they are in need of additional training. Based on this experience, I caution other customers about shopping at this location. It may be worth spending a few extra dollars at a competitor (such as Target or Walmart) to receive better customer service and...