MUJI 59th Street — Local services in New York

I’ve been going to MUJI on and off for the last +7 years and noticed in the last few years that as a Black woman, I have been followed through the store by certain employees. I go less and less now but thought to pop-in since it had been a while, only to be followed as I browsed for goods. An employee was paralleling my movements through the basement of this location, staring at the shelves without taking note or moving anything. She stayed just a few aisles from me the whole time. When I walked in her direction she walked towards the counter and pretended to jot something down on a sheet of paper. There were other people in the store, a handful of white appearing folks, in a different section of the basement and she didn’t look at them, walk near them, or speak to them. She paralleled my movements and remained a few aisles away. I got sick of it and went up to her to ask for what I was looking for and she was visibly nervous and stunned. I jotted down the employee’s name but won’t include it because based on repeated experiences, she’s likely just following store policy and doesn’t deserve to be...

I stopped in to purchase an extra set of keys for the suitcase. I asked the first sales associate I saw and she went to inquire about the keys. About five minutes later, I went to find her and she told me that they didn’t have any in stock but the Time Square location possibly had some. I had asked for the price and she was not sure, but then she proceeded to mention that her manager was in a meeting and could help me when he/she was finished...I asked her to call the Time Square location and ask if they had any available as it seemed like the more reasonable thing to do. She came back a minute later to tell me that they also did not have any. When I had asked where I could possibly get the keys, she suggested that I check online, only to then correct herself and say that they might not actually have any online. Muji, please do your customers a favor and train your staff, or at least give them some kind of handbook so they can give an...

Was I racially profiled?

Been going to this location for years because I work nearby on 53rd and Lex.

Today I was stopped exiting because I didn’t have a receipt. I didn’t have a receipt because the cashier asked if I needed it (I bought $3.16 notebook), i said no because why would I need it.

But I had a feeling the guard was already following my movements since I entered. So the moment I was exiting I already felt like I’m guilty til proven innocent.

He said he was just doing his job. Well then the cashier should have been doing his job and never asked me if I needed the receipt or not. If the guard is going to check receipts then give it to customers and don’t give them the choice if they want it or not.

I’m just upset because this was my go to store if I needed anything for work or household items. It offer solace to distress and just peruse when I needed a break. Now I feel like I don’t ever want to enter...