A Texas woman went to her local Walmart for home decor and pasta, only to be followed throughout the store wherever she walked.
Alexis (@alexisssssarre) first noticed the man following her while looking at home decor items.
“I feel like there’s a man in here following me around,” she said in her video. “Or maybe I’m tripping. I’m kind of scared ’cause it is late at night. I already turned nine o’clock. I should be home. I’m gonna just go check out already.”
For the rest of her video, Alexis tried to act as she normally would. She filmed “lululemon dupes” and noted that she needed Walmart to take Apple Pay. Despite this, many commenters were worried about the TikTok content creator, especially considering her experience in-store.
“Safe to say I’m not going to stores at night anymore,” said Alexis in her video’s description.
Have other people experienced the exact same thing?
Based on Alexis’s comments section, there have been countless people who have faced similar circumstances. People report being “followed” around in Walmart stores despite not interacting with anyone in-store.
One commenter reflected, “This is why I HATE Walmart. It’s so ghetto. There’s always a creep. My sister and I were with our kids and a man kept following us. I noticed but thought I was being crazy then my sister brought it up she said ‘let’s go to the kids section see if he goes too’ and yes he went too. We left everything and left the store. She also said out ‘that man is following us!’ And he got scared away.”
Viewers also said that it doesn’t even matter if you go with another person. People in Walmart stores will still follow you around.
“They don’t even care if you’re with a man anymore either,” a viewer explained. “The other day a dude was recording me pretending to be on the phone and then another guys followed me to my car while texting on two phones and my husband was right next to me.”
Others said that these incidents can happen at any time of day, sharing their own personal conflicts in stores. “Everyone keeps mentioning not going at night, but I was almost kidnapped in Walmart in the middle of the day,” wrote one commenter. “The guy was literally shoulder to shoulder with me no matter how much I pushed away etc.. They really don’t care. Please go with someone next time.”
What should you do if you’re being followed in a store?
Alexis posted her recap of her Walmart shopping trip, but drew little attention to the man following her in the store. This was a smart move, as acting normal can be a defensive move when being followed.
It’s different depending on who follows you, though. Generally, store employees at an establishment may follow customers around to see if they’ll steal certain items. Companies like Walmart are notorious for having “secret shoppers” who walk around stores to prevent theft.
In those circumstances, Reddit threads like r/askTO recommend asking an employee a question or directly addressing them. One commenter wrote, “I start asking them for suggestions and reviews of products, make them work and watch them scurry away!”
@alexisssssarre safe to say i’m not going to the stores at night anymore ? #beaware #shopping #walmart #fyp ♬ original sound – ALEXI$
In certain circumstances, a simple “hello” to a person following could scare them off. But, it’s incredibly important to assess the situation and determine whether or not it’s safe to confront or speak to someone following you.
In Alexis’s case, there’s no clear answer as to why someone was following her around the store. It could have been innocuous or sinister depending on the context. That’s also why it’s a good idea not to head directly home if you suspect you’re being followed. That’s because you can accidentally tell that person where you live or give them more information about you.
The Mary Sue has reached out to Alexis and Walmart for more information.
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