Enjoying shopping in stores relies on liking a lot of non-shopping things, like crowds, loud music, and being repeatedly approached by strangers who ask you invasive questions. You can always tell when it’s company policy to be as aggressive with shoppers as possible because you won’t be able to walk two feet in a store without being accosted by someone wearing a name tag.
I don’t blame the retail workers, it’s their job to harass me. I blame the company for putting that pressure on them and thus, on me.
But there are people who like the interaction! For some reason. If only there was a way to satisfy everybody. Boom! There is!
This photo from a European Sephora store has gone viral because it seems like the perfect way to delineate who wants help and who doesn’t.
There is a fellow introvert on the Sephora customer experience team who deserves A RAISE RIGHT NOW pic.twitter.com/4Aan7lUyVD
— Cami Williams (@cwillycs) November 4, 2019
If you’re carrying a red basket, it means “I would like to be assisted. If you’re carrying a black basket, it means, “I would like to shop on my own!â€
Everyone can get what they want. People with anxiety or just a dislike of public interactions with strangers are loving this idea.
Lush keeps getting called out in the comments as a particularly difficult store to enter without being harassed:
I generally enjoy going into lush stores but I can’t even imagine what that experience is like for someone with sever anxiety, over stimulation, or a host of other things. I’m assuming it would be the number one store to avoid.
— natasha (@NatashaDNP) November 5, 2019
The Assault Course of Cherry Horror is how I think of the period from Hallowe’en until the end of the year.
— Matt Gibson (@gothick) November 5, 2019
Lush is the worst. I thought someone was going to quickly apply a lotion sample to me once and it turned into a long and awkward hand massage.
— Kirstin Leiby (@KirLeiby) November 5, 2019
Lush is the worst culprit for me, too. I love their products but haven't been able to enter a store in 3+ years.
— Stephanie (@stephopedia) November 5, 2019
Lush, wyd??
Clearly, enough people are having this issue that it’s keeping them out of stores. But some people wondered what would happen is they changed their mind and needed help:
Be an adult and ask for help when you realise you need it
— Vanessa Smith (@normal_ness) November 5, 2019
Others wondered if this would cause the store to lose money:
This is so dumb though. The more people talk at me, the more annoyed I get and the less likely I am to buy anything extra.
Let me browse on my own and I'm going to end up finding a bunch of stuff on sale that I don't really need, though.
— 🌹Saffi âœ¡ï¸ (@SaffiEriksdottr) November 5, 2019
But some people say it would actually lead to more money for the store:
Yes, and changes the narrative from "no thanks, I'm just looking" to "I'm shopping on my own"
— Nina Hatfield (@ninahatfield) November 5, 2019
Most people seemed thrilled by the choice, however, and it’s already something done in a few Korean stores:
If your favorite phrase is "No thanks, I'm just looking," then these are the shopping baskets for you. Innisfree, a Korean beauty store,… pic.twitter.com/D2AJTigPBs
— a phenomenal tool to (@mytop10videos) December 10, 2016
Please, bring these to the U.S. I promise, Sephora, I already spend an ungodly amount of money. the longer I can walk around unmolested, the worse it will get. For my pocketbook.