A woman says she was left in shock after staff at a popular east Auckland retail store falsely accused her of being a known shoplifter.
Misha Peters told the NZ Herald newspaper the upsetting incident happened at Kmart Botany on December 13.
She’d spent about 90 minutes doing her Christmas shopping when she was approached by a group of police officers.
They told her the store had accused her of being a known shoplifter and its staff were concerned she would leave with a trolley full of items.
Peters finished her shopping at the store and bought items worth more than $800.
She later received an apology from Kmart via email which says: “Firstly, I want to sincerely apologise for the distressing experience you endured, and I am truly sorry for any embarrassment and inconvenience caused during what should have been a joyful Christmas shopping spree.
“Such behaviour from our staff is not reflective of the standards we uphold at Kmart, and we are conducting a thorough investigation into the matter.
“To demonstrate our commitment to making this right, we would like to offer you a sincerest apology.”
Peters is unaware why the store falsely accused her of being a shoplifter and said she’s never stolen anything in her life.
A police spokesperson told the Times: “Police can confirm we responded to a report of an incident at an address on Ti Rakau Drive, Botany, around 8.15pm on December 13.
“Upon arrival, police spoke to staff and an individual in the store regarding potential suspicious behaviour, however no further police action was required, and police left the premises around 8.50pm.”
The Times attempted to contact Kmart Botany but no one answered the phone.
