Staff at Macy's, one of US retailing's big names, were said to have targeted shoppers because of their colour.
US actor Rob Brown was among customers suspected of theft or fraud.
Some complaints against Macy's were from customers who, despite not concealing goods, were detained after moving between floors at the Manhattan store.
Other customers who spoke poor English, and were suspected of shoplifting or credit card fraud, were not allowed to make phone calls or have an interpreter, and were required to sign documents that they could not understand.
