New data shows a sharp rise in abuse and attacks against shopworkers, with 54% now facing such incidents weekly, up from 33% in 2024. Research by the Retail Trust highlights this growing issue, with 79% of shopworkers experiencing abusive or violent situations in the past year.
The study, which surveyed 1,138 shopworkers, found that almost one in four have faced physical attacks, such as being kicked or hit. Shoplifting remains a major problem, with 84% of retail workers witnessing it in the past year, and 35% seeing it daily.
Retail workers face rising abuse and mental health impact
The increasing abuse is affecting shopworkers’ mental health. 70% of those affected feel stressed or anxious about work, 36% feel unsafe at work, and 21% feel unsafe traveling to or from their workplace.
Despite these challenges, 83% of retail employees say that a single positive interaction with a customer can help them recover from a negative experience. This shows the importance of kindness and respect in retail settings.
The Retail Trust is urging shoppers to show greater kindness and respect to shopworkers as part of its Let’s Respect Retail campaign. This initiative runs alongside other campaigns, including ACS’s ShopKind, Usdaw’s Respect for Shopworkers Week, and the National Business Crime Centre’s Safer Business Action Week, all aimed at tackling retail crime and abuse.
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Police and retail sector unite to combat retail crime
For the first time, the retail sector and police have joined forces in four national campaigns to address retail crime. This joint effort, supported by policing minister Sarah Jones, aims to target prolific offenders, share intelligence on crime hotspots, and improve incident reporting.
Superintendent Lisa Maslen, national business crime centre lead, emphasized the importance of this collaboration: “Bringing all four campaigns together… means we can reach more businesses, hear directly from shopworkers and turn that shared commitment into local action.
With 20 police forces already signed up, preparations are gathering pace. Alongside our partners’ work in stores and communities, policing will focus on preventing crime, sharing intelligence, and targeting the offenders causing the greatest harm.”
Retail Trust CEO Chris Brook-Carter stressed the collective responsibility: “We all have a role to play in making our shops safer, kinder, and more respectful places to work and visit… we’ll be calling on shoppers to treat retail workers with courtesy and respect while urging retailers to ensure their people receive the protection and support they need.”
Rising Concerns Over Non-Consensual Filming and Mental Health Impact
The Retail Trust’s survey reveals a disturbing increase in non-consensual filming of shopworkers. 38% of respondents reported being filmed without consent, up from 30% the previous year. This issue adds to the growing challenges faced by retail employees.
The mental health consequences of abuse are severe. 68% of shopworkers consider dealing with abusive customers an inherent part of their job.
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Collaborative Efforts to Combat Retail Crime
The joint national campaigns, supported by policing minister Sarah Jones, aim to comprehensively address retail crime. ACS’s ShopKind campaign will use national and trade media, providing updated materials for stores and social media platforms.
Usdaw’s Respect for Shopworkers Week encourages a two-pronged approach: urging shoppers to maintain composure and empowering workers to report incidents. The National Business Crime Centre’s Safer Business Action Week focuses on collaboration between police forces and businesses to target prolific offenders and improve incident reporting.
Usdaw general secretary Joanne Thomas emphasizes the impact of retail crime, stating, “Retail crime remains at epidemic levels with over half a million shop theft incidents recorded.” She highlights the physical and psychological harm caused to frontline workers and expresses optimism about the joint campaigning efforts.
ACS CEO Ed Woodall welcomes the support for the ShopKind campaign, stating, “We are delighted at the support for the ShopKind campaign shown in thousands of shops across the UK and believe that bringing ShopKind Week together with leading awareness campaigns from shopworkers union Usdaw, the Retail Trust and the National Business Crime Centre, sends a clear united message that colleagues shouldn’t have to face abuse, that the businesses they work for will report incidents, and that the police will respond effectively.”
Policing minister Sarah Jones acknowledges the decline in shop theft but stresses the need for continued action. She states, “Shop theft is finally falling, and there are thousands more neighbourhood police on our streets. But we won’t stop there. We are clear that retail crime is not minor, and those responsible will be held accountable.”
