S. Mart Life 生活馆 — Local services in Cherry Hill Township

I've been a loyal customer of this store for a long time, and previously, I would have enthusiastically given it five stars. I genuinely appreciate the diverse selection of skincare products and snacks, and the store's aesthetic always enhanced the overall experience.

However, my most recent visit was deeply disappointing and, frankly, humiliating. It appears this isn't an isolated incident, as I've since noticed other reviews mentioning similar issues of discrimination or false accusations.

Upon entering, dressed casually with a cap and mini-backpack (as I was cycling and avoiding sunburn), keep in mind I was also a sweaty mess from cycling in the sun and I didn’t want to be judged. I noticed a male employee restocking the fridge section. When I attempted to grab my favorite konjac jelly, he was standing directly in front of the fridge, staring intensely without speaking. Feeling awkward, I asked if I was in his way, to which he replied, 'I'm fine.'

To free my hands while browsing, I instinctively placed the konjac jelly into my mini-backpack, an action I've done before in this very store (and always paid for). Moments later, the same employee gestured for me to approach him. Confused, I complied. He then signaled for me to show him the contents of my bag. When I pulled out the konjac jelly pouches, he immediately jumped to the conclusion that I was attempting to steal.

Despite my immediate explanation and offer to pay on the spot, he was unyielding. He ordered me to leave the store, threatening to call the police if I didn't comply. I was shocked and embarrassed. My intention was never to steal; I simply placed the item in my bag for convenience while I continued shopping, fully intending to pay at checkout. There are security cameras and metal detectors in the store; if I were truly stealing, there would be clear evidence, and I certainly wouldn't be inviting them to review the footage now.

Attempting to reason with the female employees at the checkout was equally fruitless. One spoke in Korean and seemed to agree with him without attempting to understand my side, while another, whom I recognized from previous visits, remained silent and offered no support. But I understand that maybe it’s because she didn’t recognize me and was just speechless at the moment, but I was still very upset at the moment and wanted support.

This experience was incredibly disheartening. As a teenager, I feel I was unjustly profiled and subjected to a baseless accusation. To be humiliated and ejected from a place I've frequented, for a genuine misunderstanding, is unacceptable. This incident has completely shattered my positive impression of the store, and I hope management addresses these...

RACIALLY PROFILE And ACCUSED OF STEALING !!! Before the store’s closing time, we were racially profiled and asked to leave as soon as we entered. We were wearing ethnic attire .

As we were exiting, the security sensor beeped (it beeped when we walked in and it beeped when another girl walked out ) and we were immediately accused of stealing. The store employee was aggressive, insisting that we must have had something in our pockets to trigger the alarm. We were barely there for more than five minutes since apparently they were closed(even though on Google it states 9pm) . Despite our denial, he refused to let us leave and continued making accusations.

He prevented us from leaving the store without legal justification and stated he’d have to check each ‘one’ of us . This constitutes as false imprisonment, which is a tort (civil wrong) and potentially a criminal offense.

Later, he shifted the blame to a purse, claiming it was the likely cause of the alarm. He stated it was a ‘good thing’ . However, by that point, he had already embarrassed and falsely accused us. He also insisted on searching us before allowing us to exit, violating our rights and dignity. No apology was given at that moment . It was traumatic. Publicly accusing someone of stealing without proof is considered defamation .

Racial profiling in retail settings violates federal and state anti-discrimination laws, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title II), which prohibits discrimination in public accommodations

Unsure if FTC needs to be involved since looking at the reviews it’s not a single incident .

If you are a person of color , or dress not American enough , I would suggest finding somewhere else to shop. Extremely...

This is a cute shop that is sort of a catch all for Asian products. When you first walk in, you are immediately overwhelmed by their loud crane machines and gachapon machines. The prices in these machines are a little...weird? They're just random plushies or plastic toys you could find at the dollar store, clearly meant to distract kids while a parent shops. The rest of the store has a good blend of home good items, beauty, snacks and toys. They have a LOT of blind box figures; there were several towers and displays dotted throughout the store. They also had Labubu's but those were kept behind the checkout counter. They had Rolife blind boxes, which I was surprised by, because I almost never see those in actual stores. The prices for most of the blind boxes were only a few dollars higher then places like Amazon or TikTok, but not too crazy. The snack selection they had was actually much better then I expected it too be! A lot of shelf stable buns and other pastries that I love, for pretty good prices! Some of the sweets were actually cheaper then H-Mart or the Asian Market. They also had a good amount of Flower Knows makeup in the store, but the display for that brand was in a bit of a disarray. Also, I couldn't find any prices for that makeup brand so I ended up not buying anything from that section. their skincare was also fairly expensive, but I'm assuming that import fees have gone way up which made their prices go way up. I'll totally stop by here again to get snacks when I'm back...