The Oamaru Charity Shop owner Bonnie McLellan said yesterday she thought the incident that led to the trespassing had been blown out of proportion.
Zahra Muhammed, of Dunedin, claimed in a Facebook post picked up by media at the weekend that while visiting the charity shop she was told to "f... off back to India'', by Ms McLellan.
Ms McLellan said there was a verbal argument, but only after the woman left her children to roam her shop unsupervised.
Words were exchanged and while Ms McLellan denied swearing at Ms Muhammed, she admitted she told the mother of three to go back to India.
She said she regretted doing so, but it was uttered when the argument escalated.
"She became quite intimidating and I told her I would trespass her.
"If I knew she was from Dunedin I would have told her to go back to Dunedin.''
She said she felt like the incident had been blown out of proportion.
"I feel harassed by it all.''
Retail New Zealand public affairs general manager Greg Harford said that retail stores were private property and retailers were within their rights to trespass anyone within the bounds of the Human Rights Act.
A Human Rights Commission spokeswoman said the Human Rights Act helped to ensure that everyone in New Zealand was treated fairly and equally.
"It also makes it unlawful to discriminate based on a number of things including sex, religious belief, age, and race.
"Treating someone with respect shouldn't be something we do because of a law; giving someone a fair go is something we should be aiming to do anyway.''
Ms McLellan said the woman left the store only to come back in and direct more verbal abuse at staff.
Ms Muhammed did not respond to messages yesterday, but said in her Facebook post she did hear her children interacting with shop staff and the owner, but did not know why picking up toys was such a "no no'' in that shop.
She said she tried to be diplomatic as she paid for items, but the conversation soon descended into an argument.
