Have anyone else experienced " Shop Mobbing?"

[lucretias]

perhaps someone's leg is being pulled...

[floridasun8]

This is just weird...and I've never heard of that before. I dont know if it is true, or even what the real purpose would be, however the only thing that I would so should I be in a store and be "mobbed" is stand there and call the police on my cell phone. No way would a group of crazy people force me to leave or not buy something if I wanted to. This just sounds really far fetched.

[Styleforever]

I have a theory or at least, I may can get a general idea as to why this is being done, in the past year people who dress lavishly or carry designer items have become somewhat villainized due to the action of people such the Wall Street brokers, Madoff, Standford and coporate CEO's and many other, some view luxury as a form of greed while so many are losing their jobs and homes. In short they seems to be saying that we all fit in the same category.

To many of these people the idea wife maintains an idea family which is someone who is not interested in anything but the basic necessaries and they see anyone who think otherwise is considered a bad mom or a bad wife if all of everything is not totally focused on your husband and your kids. His needs and the kids wants must always come before anything you desire. I know this sounds odd but believe me this form of thinking truly exist. Not in 1955 but in 2009. I have been in retail business for over 12 years and I have literally heard this said over and over again more times than I care to count. And this belief system is far stronger than we like to believe.

By this way of thinking which is a throwback to another era which women like Susan B. Anthony fought so hard to get us out of is so predominate that even pre-teen girls are noticing it. I have heard my pre-teen daughter and her friends refer to this as the "cult of the soccer moms" mentality. So it is not hard to form such a group when there maybe several people in one community who thinks alike.


If my theory is correct. They never stop to think that perhaps the lady they see carrying the expensive bag may have saved up her money for years to buy it. Or she have just lost her job last week and may be out looking for a new one or she maybe taking the bag to a pawn shop to pawn it so she can pay a bill. If this is the reason for their actions, then they don't know the story of the lady with the bag.

Some might reason if she was so broke why is she out shopping...another scenario maybe she runs a shops where if she doesn't meet the customers demands there will be several families out of work. So they couldn't judge a book by it cover.

[Styleforever]

Originally Posted by lucretias

perhaps someone's leg is being pulled...

I seriously doubt it, these are not teenagers playing a plank, these are full grown adults with families.

[Styleforever]

Originally Posted by Compass Rose

I think it's all an elaborate shoplifting ploy.

Maybe, if so, they are going to get caught. I at first thought so too, doing so by creating a circus of distraction.
But from my experience in dealing with shoplifters, the key to a great shoplifter is always leave a clear exit to the door, to make a quick get away and that would be kind of hard to do pushing a stroller and with several people in tow. But I guess it could be done.

Yes, I know about the trick of hiding things in the stroller under the baby or in the pet carrier under the pet.

[jellyv]

[QUOTE=Styleforever;11464681]I have a theory or at least, I may can get a general idea as to why this is being done, in the past year people who dress lavishly or carry designer items have become somewhat villainized due to the action of people such the Wall Street brokers, Madoff, Standford and coporate CEO's and many other, some view luxury as a form of greed while so many are losing their jobs and homes. In short they seems to be saying that we all fit in the same category.

Who's doing the mobbing then--the women's own family members (which is what I thought you meant, and which would be senseless in your theory, since they fully know the income level of their own family members), or other random men (which is close to being unbelievable, if you mean a shopping protest)? No matter what you say about traditional female roles surviving, the fact is, family incomes today depend on women being in the workforce, and the males you propose doing this would be living broke without that reality.

Sorry, I do not find this a plausible story.

[.:Sprigged:.]

^Ditto.

[COACH ADDICT]

That is very odd and kind of scary.. I do not believe that is a constructive way of protesting the economy. What good does it to take customers away from stores? That just sound silly..

[Voodoo]

I hadn't heard of this before and it is um... ridiculous haha These large groups of people can't find something better to do w/ their time and numbers?

[TopGirl]

I have never heard of it either- there are so many strange people on this planet.

[JSH812]

This story is so weird... I can't believe this kind of stuff happens. For a minute I thought I'd have to 'fess up to buying all of the Nivea Cream Oil bodywash at CVS whenever they stock the shelves back up...... (it's my favorite)

but now I understand that this is a whole different ballgame than hoarding bodywash....

[windycityaj]

The only time I've ever hear of this is when I use to work retail and "mobs" or "teams" would come into stores in order to distract salespeople, etc. in order to steal, but never to make people leave. Once you've been through the experiemce, you never forget it. It's quite well organized, and if you don't know what to look for, it's easy to get half of your merchandise stolen............

[Styleforever]

[QUOTE=jellyv;11465541]

Originally Posted by Styleforever

I have a theory or at least, I may can get a general idea as to why this is being done, in the past year people who dress lavishly or carry designer items have become somewhat villainized due to the action of people such the Wall Street brokers, Madoff, Standford and coporate CEO's and many other, some view luxury as a form of greed while so many are losing their jobs and homes. In short they seems to be saying that we all fit in the same category. Who's doing the mobbing then--the women's own family members (which is what I thought you meant, and which would be senseless in your theory, since they fully know the income level of their own family members), or other random men (which is close to being unbelievable, if you mean a shopping protest)? No matter what you say about traditional female roles surviving, the fact is, family incomes today depend on women being in the workforce, and the males you propose doing this would be living broke without that reality. Sorry, I do not find this a plausible story.

I am sorry you don't find it plausible because you did not experience it. Their actions aren't obvious until they start to crowd around one particular person. Why? I have no idea, that is why I asked the clerk at the store what was going on.

Believe it or not there are still some people who don't know how the real world works, don't see the connection between spending and shopping and keeping the economy going.

[LulaMaeBarnes]

I don't believe it, sorry but that sounds like a bunch of BS. No one's going to waste their time being 'non shoppers' just go go and annoy and intimidate people who are shopping.

What I would believe is people who bring husbands or kids along to deter shoppers from getting good deals before they do, like blocking an aisle so they can have it to themselves or whatever. I've seen that before, I never let them get to me and still walk past but unless they were trying to get a deal that seems illogical.

[Styleforever]

Originally Posted by LulaMaeBarnes

I don't believe it, sorry but that sounds like a bunch of BS. No one's going to waste their time being 'non shoppers' just go go and annoy and intimidate people who are shopping. What I would believe is people who bring husbands or kids along to deter shoppers from getting good deals before they do, like blocking an aisle so they can have it to themselves or whatever. I've seen that before, I never let them get to me and still walk past but unless they were trying to get a deal that seems illogical.

You would be surprised at the BS that goes on in this world which makes no sense at all. Both times I experienced it these groups bought nothing. But amazing this past Thursday another group arrived in a totally different store and seemingly several of the customers there just as I had experience this before was totally fed up with it. The customers started elbowing and shoving them out their way and being as rude as they had been treated. So it was the group who ended up leaving this time not the customers.