Watch out for those Walmart managers!

[Chickhe]

...since he works there, you could have gone up to him to ask him all kinds of questions about the panties you were buying... sir, can you tell me if these come in, other colors, do you have this in a size 6... if he can't answer you ask him what he's doing working there if he isn't helping customers...

...or you can have a lot of fun by walking back and forth all over the store or following him around.

[Allison Chaynes]

I would have run towards him yelling "We have a CODE BLUE in Housewares!"

Since we've opened that Pandora's Box, google "Fun Things to Do in Wal Mart." Many of them would be perfect responses to your experience!

[DebbieL]

Ok, I went to a local Walmart today in drab to shop for a little bit of everything. As I was checking out tops, bras, panties, etc. I noticed a guy in a white shirt and tie standing a few aisles down. He wasn't looking at anything and there were no other shoppers around. He was just standing there. You could see I was actually shopping as I had a basket full of stuff at that point. Well, after about 10 more minutes I knew by then that he was following me...and that he was a manager. I cannot tell you how this made me feel. Like I was being looked at as some kind of pervert. I wanted to confront him but, instead, I quickly left to check out before I had gotten all I wanted. I just wanted out of there! Should I have confronted him? Should I have dumped all my stuff and left? I get looked at from time to time and I really don't care, but this particular time I felt humiliated. Advice girls?

Actually, you should probably file a complaint with the store manager. This is a direct violation of Walmart's corporate policies. Walmart is aware of the importance of diversity and the diversity of their customer base. No customer should ever be made to feel uncomfortable while shopping at a Walmart.

At some Walmart stores, the after Midnight crowd is remarkably diverse, since in many smaller communities, it's one of the few times and places where transgenders can shop in safety and security with relative privacy and few if any hassles from other customers.

The typical Walmart customer spends about $5,000 a year at Walmart and just ONE jerk like that, stalking or intimidating the customers, could lead to the loss of MANY customers, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue. Given the size of Walmart, that may not seem like much, but every store manager is aware that those numbers come from lots and lots of people making lots and lots of purchase of $20 to $50 items. If you have a bad experience, you might decide to do all your shopping at a competitor such as Target, K-Mart, or even the larger malls or the strip-mall chains. You might even make major purchases, such as electronics and small appliances at other stores as well.

Next time you are in the store, shop in the same section, and if your friend shows up, ask for his name so that there will be no question of who he is and that he has made you feel uncomfortable. You might even remind him of how much you spent at WalMart in the last month or year, and that you expect to be treated like a valued customer, not harassed like you were some sort of criminal.

[linda allen]

I already posted my thoughts. but on reading posts after mine, the post about whipping out your phone and taking pictures of the guy (make it obvious) seems like a good suggestion for anyone who doesn't want to walk up to him and confront him.

If he's up to no good, he will turn away and leave. Even if he's working for the store, he will probably turn and leave.

[Julie1123]

Maybe he's a crossdresser in denial and was self-consciously living vicariously through you? I kid of course but there could have been any number of reasons for his behavior. I think the best approach would be to say hello. Snap him out of whatever he's doing and see where it goes.

[DeeInGeorgia]

Probably the safest and best is to go to the front and ask to speak to a manager. If he was the one they call, you could say "you had me worried you were stalking me" and if not him then tell the manager that comes someone is stalking you.

[linda allen]

Actually, you should probably file a complaint with the store manager. This is a direct violation of Walmart's corporate policies. Walmart is aware of the importance of diversity and the diversity of their customer base. No customer should ever be made to feel uncomfortable while shopping at a Walmart.............

Debbie, I think you make some very good points. Many people claim they are too good to shop at Walmart or bitch about Walmart killing smaller stores, but most of them sneak off and shop there if they think nobody will find out. What Walmart has done is to find ways to bring products to consumers at lower costs than what they would otherwise pay.

And yes, the customer base is very broad and diverse. People of all types have to buy food and clothing and they can feel comfortable doing it at Walmart. Even the employee base is pretty diverse.

Walmart didn't get where it is today by driving customers away and I doubt they plan on starting.

I don't know how the OP determined that the man was a manager or even that he was watching her, but if she was uncomfortable in the store, going to the manager would have been the best thing to do. If it turned out to actually be the same person, at the very least it would be embarassing to him and he would have a lot of appologizing to do.

[Syndi]

I hate when they do that at any store. I have been watched at Walmart and at other stores. Wasn't at Walmart but at another store I was followed by management or plain clothes security. Yes I had a few items of female attire and at one point tried some thing on in the men's area. Finally I got fed up and said " WHAT!!! You think I am going to steal?" Pulled out a wad of $20 that was for rent and said" I WAS going to buy alot today but I will take my business over to (competitor's name). Left him with a shocked look and walked out.