Over 75% of staff are being intimidated and 23% of staff have been assaulted at work, new research from the Retail Trust reveals
ATTACKS on retail workers are ‘completely horrifying’, GMB Union has said in response to a new survey by the Retail Trust, that has shown that 77 per cent of shop staff have experienced intimidating behaviour in the past year and 23 per cent were physically assaulted.
The poll, by the Retail Trust, also showed that a further 43 per cent said they are being abused or attacked every week, a 10 per cent rise on last year.
It is a rise of 10% on last year, when 33% told the Retail Trust they were experiencing weekly verbal or physical assaults, and 45% felt the abuse had got worse in the last two years.
The findings are backed up by a separate YouGov poll for the Retail Trust which discovered a third (34%) of people have witnessed someone being rude or abusive towards a shop worker in the past year.
Of those experiencing abuse, 62% feel stressed and anxious going into work and 43% are looking to quit their job or the retail industry altogether as a result. 45% of all shop workers said they now feel unsafe at work.
Thirty per cent of workers said they or a colleague had even been filmed without their consent for someone’s social media, part of an online trend that saw TikTok star Mizzy jailed in 2023 for terrorising shop workers and members of the public with online pranks.
Nadine Houghton, GMB National Officer, said: “GMB members in retail have been stabbed, punched and threatened with syringes while trying to do their job.
“It’s completely horrifying – no one should have suffer this kind of abuse and violence at work. Retail employers need to ensure they have adequate staff and security to prevent this happening – and rock-solid procedures in place to support staff when it does.”
The results of the survey will be discussed at GMB’s annual congress in Bournemouth today [Tuesday].
The Retail Trust has launched a Let’s Respect Retail campaign, calling on shoppers to help restore humanity to the high street this Christmas, starting with simple gestures of respect like a hello, thank you or a smile.
Its separate YouGov poll of 2,000 UK adults found nearly a quarter (24%) have forgotten to make eye contact or smile at a shop worker and 20% have forgotten to say hello or thank you.
A further 71% of shoppers admitted to getting annoyed with a shop worker, delivery driver or someone working in customer services. Of these, 13% said they raised their voice or lost their temper.
The assault of a shop worker could soon become a standalone offence with a maximum prison term of six months, as part of the Crime and Policing Bill currently moving through Parliament.
Chris Brook-Carter, chief executive of the Retail Trust, said: “Making the assault of a retail worker a specific offence will help the police deal with serious crimes, but it will do little to stop the rudeness, hostility and contempt that shop workers tell us they face during every shift.
“What was once occasional frustration has become routine abuse and we’re being contacted by people who are ignored, disrespected and shouted at every single day. They are being targeted by shoppers who treat retail workers as less than human and not even worthy of looking up from their phones for. This is taking a massive toll on people’s mental health, and many feel they have no option other but to leave jobs they once loved.
“It’s time for this to stop but it will take a collective effort. Our message at the Retail Trust is clear. Next time you are interacting with a shop worker, take time to look up, say hello, thank you and smile. Even the simplest acts of recognition can make a huge difference for people who are facing daily hostility, and it will make shopping a better experience for everyone.”
Shop workers have also taken part in free training run by the Retail Trust last month to help them deal with the rise in antisocial and threatening behaviour, as part of the charity’s campaign to restore dignity to the high street. Big screens in shops and shopping destinations across the country are being used to highlight the campaign later this month.
