Shop workers report rise in abuse

Number of retail staff reporting abuse by customers has spiked as inflation continued to push prices in the stores, stated a recent report by a retail body. 

Figures shared with ITV News by the Retail Trust show that 70 per cent of retail workers reported that the abuse had “gotten worse” in the last two years. 

In a survey of 2,000 shoppers, 62 per cent said they had been frustrated by rising prices, and out of these 71 per cent admitted to raising their voice or losing their temper at staff. 

Shopkeeper Paul Cheema told ITV News he was now seeing abuse on a daily basis. 

“We’re governed by the prices that are coming in but it’s no need to take the anger out on the people working in the store because it’s beyond their control as well,” Cheema said. 

Jo Causon from the Institute of Customer Service said more than 40 per cent of people they had talked to were considering leaving the industry. 

A Wickes member of staff spoke to ITV News anonymously saying, “I was pretty shook up, I didn’t feel good at all, I was away from work for a number of weeks. 

“No one deserves to be attacked when they’re trying to work and trying to earn some money.” 

New laws were brought in in June to increase punishments against people who abused staff. 

British Retail Consortium’s (BRC) annual retail crime survey in June showed that violence and abuse against retail workers in the UK have tripled during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The number of daily incidents grew from 455 in 2019-20 to 1,301 in 2020-21, with 125 incidents being deemed ‘violent’ by the trade association.  

The #shopkind campaign, an initiative from the UK’s biggest retailers, the Home Office and Crimestoppers, aims to counter this, urging the public to be kinder to shop staff, emphasizing that shop workers should be treated with respect, kindness and gratitude.