1 /5 Karen .R: I recently shopped at Old Navy with my 1.5-year-old daughter and husband, and unfortunately, our experience was far from family-friendly. As a parent, I understand that young children can be energetic and make some noise, but I was shocked by how uncomfortable the staff made us feel.
While browsing in the kids section, I noticed several employees constantly watching my daughter, as if they were waiting for her to do something wrong. It wasn’t just one employee either—multiple staff members passed by, keeping their eyes on her and pretending to be busy while still monitoring us. Even my husband, who usually doesn’t notice this kind of thing, felt uneasy, which says a lot.
As we moved through different sections—my husband to men’s, and I to women’s—the same behavior continued. The staff seemed more focused on “checking up” on us than helping. When I finally got to the register, I decided to bring it up with the cashier, who called the manager over. To my surprise, the manager was one of the people who had been giving us those looks the entire time! She tried to justify it by saying they were “monitoring how many clothes we were carrying to offer us a basket or cart,” but that never happened, and we were clearly holding several items.
I mentioned to her that despite claiming to be an inclusive and family-friendly store, it certainly didn’t feel that way. It’s disheartening to visit a store that’s supposed to cater to families and be met with judgmental stares and discomfort. We left feeling unwelcome, and it’s sad that an experience like this can push people away from a brand that’s meant to be friendly and inclusive.