Lululemon heists: 4 women charged for stealing more than $10K in merchandise as thefts increase in Philly area
4 women caught in Lululemon heist in Ardmore meanwhile 2 more thefts occurred in Philly
A recent uptick in Lululemon thefts is raising concern after police say they have charged four women caught on camera stealing thousands of dollars of merchandise Tuesday at a location in Ardmore. Meanwhile on Thursday, a Lululemon in Rittenhouse Square was hit twice. FOX 29's Shaynah Ferreira has the scoop.
ARDMORE, Pa. - Athleisure wear giant Lululemon, a popular shopping destination, has quickly become a target for thieves after a number of its locations across our area were hit.
Surveillance video released by police captures four burglars walking into the Lululemon store at the Suburban Square location in Ardmore boldly stealing thousands of dollars worth of merchandise.
Fast-forward to Thursday just after noon, another Lululemon robbery occurred, but this time it was at the location in Rittenhouse Square.
An employee told FOX 29 a group of teens with surgical masks and ski masks came into the Walnut Street location, grabbed what they wanted and ran out.
FOX 29’s Shaynah Fererria also witnessed a robbery at the same location just before 5 p.m. Thursday where she says two girls who appeared to be teenagers, skipped out of the store with tons of clothes in their hands.
Lower Merion Police say the four women seen in the Lululemon heist in Ardmore were arrested Thursday. They will be charged to the fullest extent, with a 3rd degree felony after they stole well over $10,000.
Customers were stunned to learn what happened.
"I think that it’s crazy it’s targeted more than once a day," said Madeline Keown, shopper. "I think it’s like trending, everyone wants Lululemon, so maybe people think that they can sell, resell items and make a profit."
Another Lululemon fan was shocked at the boldness and frequency of these heists.
Lululemon theft leads to police chase, arrest of duo in Center City: officials
Philadelphia police say two thieves tried to evade arrest after stealing from a popular clothing store in Center City last week.
"There’s valuable stuff in there, so I guess it doesn’t surprise me but it does surprise me that it happens so often," said Caitlin Demarst, shopper.
"It’s kind of scary with all of the retail thefts, I heard it was like 1k worth of items they stole, so just a few items," said Lynette Cohen, shopper. "Honestly, it’s the city of Philly so you gotta have your head on a swivel anytime you’re walking."
It is Lululemon's policy for its employees to not go after thieves. It is deemed a fireable offense.
FOX 29 reached out to Lululemon corporate and they sent us the following statement:
"At lululemon, the safety and security of our people and guests is our top priority. We take thefts and vandalism very seriously and always follow our policies and protocols for responding to them. This includes working closely with law enforcement at both the local and federal level on a daily basis, actively participating in reporting and supporting investigations to ensure that offenders are held accountable."
Anyone with information related to these thefts is encouraged to contact police.