by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman
April 27, 2026
The clothing store is back in the hot seat again after another incident of allegedly mistreating Black customers.
A Zara location in Atlanta is facing backlash for another instance of alleged mistreatment toward Black customers.
An Atlanta shopper called out the Zara at Atlanta’s Perimeter Mall after security accused her of shoplifting. The woman, named on Instagram as Mika Terrell, detailed the humiliating” experience” on Instagram.
Terrell explained that she spent over $350 at the store before the altercation. As she tried to leave the establishment, security accused her of stealing a piece of clothing. While she went along with getting her bags checked to clear her name, the situation escalated into an alleged case of racial profiling.
“He got loud, snatched my bag out of my hands, took it to the front of the store, and dumped everything out in front of everyone,” she explained in the caption. I was completely embarrassed and humiliated. When I asked for a manager, I was told to “calm down” instead of being treated with respect.
In the video, the store’s manager could not locate the missing red skirt in the woman’s shopping bags. This led security to ask her if she had it on. The frustrated shopper then pointed the camera at her leggings, noting that a red skirt could not fit underneath the tight garment.
She continued, “I know exactly why I was singled out. I was profiled because of how I was dressed. That’s not OK. No one deserves to be treated like that.”
The shopper then called the employees out for “stereotyping” her as a shoplifter, accusations that they promptly denied. However, she noted that their treatment of her did not warrant the crime, especially since she did not commit it.
“This kind of behavior is excessive, embarrassing, and unacceptable,” asserted the customer. “This was emotionally distressing, and I’m tired of seeing this happen over and over. I’m done supporting places where I’m made to feel targeted and disrespected.”
Zara has received flak before for its aggressive tactics toward Black customers, with another incident going viral a week prior. Commenters noted the incident, also covered by BLACK ENTERPRISE, in which store employees chased a woman they believed had stolen merchandise.
“This is the second incident in one week that I’m seeing. UNACCEPTABLE! We need to stop shopping here until they learn to value our money and presence and can provide a better shopping experience other than what their employees like to portray us as,” exclaimed a frustrated commenter.
Another one suggested a boycott of the brand, similar to the Black community-led protest of Target.
The social media user wrote, “Time to give Zara that Target energy period tf.”
One user echoed this sentiment, “Yep, @zara is done for this is becoming common practice, so let’s give them the same treatment we gave @target.”
As commenters began to note the pattern of aggressive tactics toward Black customers when accused of stealing, many hinted at the clothing brand becoming next on the boycott list.
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