BOSSES at a top store have revealed customers are abusing staff because they sell fur.
Customers at the Scottish shop House of Bruar say staff are being targeted because it sells fox, rabbit, and raccoon fur.
Patrick Birkbeck, General Manager of the store, said employees at the department store had been “made to feel uneasy” by shoppers who are against the fur policy.
House of Bruar – which is known as the Harrods of the North – sells online across the UK as well as from its flagship store near Blair Atholl, Perthshire, Scotland.
Mr Birbeck’s comments came as thousands of people signed an online petition calling for the iconic Scottish retailer to withdraw the luxury items from sale.
Mr Birkbeck said: “There have been instances where colleagues have been made to feel uneasy.
“It’s the directors who make the decisions not the employees so if anyone should be criticised it should be the directors not the people on the shop floor.
“We leave it up to the customer by giving them a choice.
“One thing I would say is that it is not fair to take these issues out on our staff on the shop-floor.
“They are there to do their job and do not decide what merchandise is made available.”
More than 6,300 people have signed the petition started by Julie Newport, of Bexhill-on-Sea, in Sussex , UK.
The mother-of-two, who works as a special needs teacher, said: “I want to ensure that the House of Bruar stop selling real fur products.
“I was offended to discover they still support this barbaric practice and emailed them with my concerns. To be fair, they responded but said it was up to customers to decide what they wanted.”
In 2004 the retailer was forced to withdraw £1,750 hamster fur coats after a public outcry and last month it was criticised again for selling a £495 raccoon fur gilet.
