1 /5 Alexis Freeman: Racially Profiling and Disrespectful Experience at Town Center Nordstrom Rack - unacceptable behavior.
On Saturday around 12:30 PM, I visited the Town Center Nordstrom Rack to browse jewelry, something I have done many times at Nordstrom stores without issue. What I experienced during this visit, however, was deeply uncomfortable and left me feeling racially profiled and unwelcome.
When I approached the jewelry section, there were two employees present. One associate (whose name I didn’t get) immediately acknowledged my presence and respectfully moved aside so I could browse. She later rang me up, and her professionalism was exactly what I expect from Nordstrom.
The other employee, Rebecca, treated me very differently.
Rebecca was standing directly in front of the jewelry rack she was marking down. When I walked up, clearly visible and standing only a few feet away, she did not acknowledge me, did not move, and did not say a word. Instead, she continued standing there in a way that felt dismissive, entitled, and intentionally obstructive. For several moments, I was made to feel as though I had no right to be in that space or touch the merchandise.
As a customer of color, this interaction immediately raised red flags. The contrast between how I was treated versus how customers are typically acknowledged in retail spaces made the experience feel less like oversight and more like deliberate exclusion.
Only when she turned away to respond to a coworker across the store did she finally step aside, briefly allowing me to look at the jewelry. I thanked her, politely so she would understand that I had been waiting. Her response was, “Well, you should have just said something.”
I calmly explained that I was the only customer standing directly in front of her, between her and the other associate they were conversing with. She saw me. She chose not to acknowledge me. That choice made me feel unwelcome and profiled.
Rather than taking accountability, she said she was “sorry I felt that way,” which is not an apology—it’s dismissive. When I expressed that this response was offensive, her attitude escalated into open hostility. She said “oh well,” told me she hoped I had a better day, and then followed it with, “Thank God for that, because right now you are not.”
At that point, the interaction crossed every line of acceptable customer service. Her comments were unnecessary, condescending, and further reinforced the feeling that I was being treated differently and with less respect.
I informed her that I would be writing a review and strongly encourage store management to review the security cameras around 12:35 PM. The footage will clearly show where I was standing, her refusal to acknowledge me, and how the interaction escalated.
I have been a loyal Nordstrom customer for years and am a Nordy Club Influencer member. I shop at Nordstrom often, and I expect to be treated with dignity, respect, and basic courtesy regardless of race.
This experience was unacceptable and far below the standard Nordstrom claims to uphold.
No customer should ever be made to feel invisible, unwelcome, or profiled while simply trying to shop. I hope this store takes this incident seriously and addresses it appropriately.
