BOSTON — Lululemon has become the hottest “free boutique” in Back Bay as unruly teens, lightning-fast looters, and organized shoplifting crews continue to ransack the upscale athleisure store with almost zero fear of consequences — a trend that has flourished under Mayor Michelle Wu’s soft-on-crime mindset.

In recent weeks, both the Newbury Street and Boylston Street locations have been hit again and again, with thieves storming in, scooping up $300 jackets and armfuls of leggings, and sprinting out into the street before staff can even react. The wave has become so routine that it barely surprises anyone when another mob bursts through the doors.

One crew of four suspects grabbed more than $6,000 in merchandise on Newbury Street in a matter of seconds, fleeing in a waiting sedan like they’d rehearsed it. At the Prudential Center store, as many as fifteen looters reportedly swept in at once, yanking high-end puff jackets off the displays and disappearing into Boylston Street traffic with thousands in goods.

Surveillance footage released by the store shows groups of teens rushing in, grabbing merchandise off the racks, and fleeing within seconds — a pattern that has become increasingly common at Lululemon’s Back Bay locations.

Wu, meanwhile, has offered little more than platitudes about “reimagining public safety,” even as Boston’s most iconic shopping district devolves into a grab-and-go frenzy. Police response times remain strained, prosecutions are rare, and City Hall appears more focused on parking enforcement than protecting a global retail corridor.

Wu’s progressive justice philosophy — prioritize diversion, avoid confrontation, and keep arrests low — has coincided with a surge in brazen retail thefts across Back Bay, where shoplifters routinely clear racks in broad daylight and vanish into crowds before anyone can intervene.

Once a polished anchor of the Prudential Center, the Back Bay Lululemon now finds itself battling a revolving door of looters who treat the high-end mall like a personal playground.

Unruly teens have been spotted hitting the store in coordinated bursts, sometimes filming themselves as they bolt out the door. Others arrive with oversized tote bags, sweeping shelves clean like they’re grabbing last-minute Black Friday deals.

The constant churn of losses has begun reshaping the entire shopping district, with thousands of dollars disappearing each week as Lululemon remains one of the most frequently targeted stores in Back Bay.

Mayor Michelle Wu, whose soft-on-crime approach has coincided with a wave of brazen retail thefts hitting Back Bay.

For Back Bay, the pattern is clear: under Wu’s soft-on-crime leadership, Lululemon isn’t just a store — it has become a symbol of Boston’s growing lawlessness. Without a shift in City Hall’s priorities, more high-end retailers may soon follow suit, leaving the city’s premier shopping district looking less like a luxury destination and more like a clearance aisle after a stampede.