Skincare store closes after investigation into high-pressure sales targeting vulnerable shoppers

The storefront at Westfield Topanga mall in Canoga Park sits empty now, its windows covered, the faint ghost of lettering the only trace of what was once there. On September 24, a lockbox appeared on the door of Bee & Co., a skincare retailer that had operated in the mall's corridors. The closure came quietly, but it followed months of investigation into how the store's employees had approached shoppers—offering samples, offering compliments—and then, once inside, pressuring them into purchases that would cost thousands of dollars.

Victor Chisholm and Gabe Cota both have intellectual disabilities. They both spoke to CBS California Investigates about what happened to them at Bee & Co. A woman approached them at the mall, offered them samples, praised their skin. They were invited inside. Once there, an employee took them to a back room for a skin treatment and began pressing them to buy creams and devices. Chisholm spent more than fifty thousand dollars. Cota spent roughly ten thousand more. Together, their purchases exceeded sixty thousand dollars.

"At one point, she said that she won't take no for an answer," Cota recalled. Chisholm said he did not understand the cost. "I didn't know it would actually cost that much," he said. He also said employees would not let him leave until he agreed to buy. Beyond the products themselves, Chisholm was pressured to send more than ten thousand dollars in tips through Cash App and Zelle—money sent not just to employees but to the store manager as well.

CBS California Investigates had documented this pattern for months. Bee & Co. employees at Southern California malls were approaching potential customers, offering samples, encouraging them to enter stores. The company's parent, Mazal Group, is based in Chatsworth and operates other retail brands at malls across the region and beyond—Introstem, Rachel's Best Soaps, The Soap Tree. The allegations drew the attention of Representative Brad Sherman, a Democrat whose district includes the Westfield Topanga location. "This is not what should be going on in our malls," Sherman said. He indicated he would bring the matter to California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

The Los Angeles Police Department opened an investigation into Chisholm's interactions with Bee & Co. employees. It remains unclear whether Westfield itself removed the store or whether the company chose to close. When asked to comment, Bee & Co. said only that it was "actively addressing this matter." Employees at neighboring stores told investigators that Bee & Co. workers suddenly covered the windows and left the location the previous week.

Fred Voigtmann, Chisholm's attorney, made clear that the closure of one location would not end his work. He has spoken with other people who describe similar experiences—people who, he said, broke down crying when recounting what happened to them. He characterized the conduct as fraud, not mere buyers' remorse. "There's a lot of shame," he said of what his clients felt. Bee & Co.'s attorney, Neville Johnson, disputed this characterization in a letter to CBS, calling the coverage "one-sided and misleading." The letter claimed Chisholm made large purchases at multiple stores throughout the mall and alleged he had sexually harassed Bee & Co. employees. Voigtmann responded by calling the harassment allegation "baseless" and describing the company's defense as an attempt to deflect from what he called "despicable and likely criminal behavior."

Regarding the Cash App and Zelle payments, Bee & Co.'s attorney attributed them to a "rogue employee" no longer with the company who was not authorized to receive independent transactions. But Chisholm's receipts showed money sent to the store manager as well. The investigation continues. Voigtmann said that based on the number of people who have reached out to him, this is something his office will pursue further.