CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The decision to ask a local mother and her baby to leave an Ulta Beauty is confusing quite a lot of Charlotte area moms.
“That doesn’t make any sense. At all,” one parent said.
The family said the incident happened Tuesday at Charlotte’s Waverly location. An associate told the mother her stroller was against the store's loss-prevention policy, according to the mother's family.
“I mean that’s just insane. You’ve got to have a place to put your child and carry all your stuff,” one mother reacted.
“That’s unacceptable. I don’t understand why any store would not allow a mother with a stroller,” said another.
Across the country, surveillance videos have shown shoplifters going into stores with strollers and using them to steal hundreds worth of merchandise.
Shoplifting cost retailers $50 billion in 2016, according to Money Magazine.
However, Ulta Beauty said banning strollers is not consistent with its corporate policy.
The company sent NBC Charlotte the following statement:
“We hate to think anything like this could’ve happened in our store. We identified the guest and have reached out in hopes of understanding her experience as it is not consistent with how we operate.
In the meantime, we want her and every guest to know that they are always welcome in our stores with children. As well as anything necessary to accommodate them including strollers. Beauty is part of our name and is there anything more beautiful than babies? The smiles of our tiniest guests make Ulta Beauty a more beautiful place and they can visit our stores absolutely anytime.”
Parents say that’s good to know because if a store banned strollers, they wouldn’t be shopping there.
“I would have to pay attention to my child who is in my arms," said a mother. "Then, I couldn’t pick up any of the products and test them so I’d probably not buy anything. It would be counterproductive.”
At this time, it’s unclear if any disciplinary action will be taken against that store associate.