Christmas is the busiest time of year for many stores and for retail colleagues. Everyone working in retail deserves a safe Christmas, from those working in stores, to those delivering goods or supporting at customer service centres. Yet the BRC’s most recent retail crime survey showed that incidents of violence and abuse have risen to over 2,000 incidents every day, and incidents tend to spike at Christmas.
This is why the British Retail Consortium (BRC), Associated Convenience Stores (ACS), Usdaw and Retail Trust are calling on the public to take a stand with us against violence and abuse towards retail workers, and ‘shop kind’ this Christmas.
Incidents, which can include everything from threats with weapons and physical assaults to racial slurs, take a severe toll on the physical and mental health of victims, who return to work day after day wondering whether they will be targeted again.
And it’s not just those working in stores: delivery drivers also face abuse and physical violence in their day to day. With up to a third of all retail sales being made online in the run up to Christmas, delivery drivers will be busier, and more exposed than ever. A recent Usdaw survey showed that in the last twelve months, more than three quarters of delivery drivers had been a victim of abuse, and over one in ten had been assaulted.
The welcome implementation of the Crime and Policing Bill is edging closer and retailers hope that it will play a vital role in granting additional legal protections for retail workers by introducing a standalone offence for assaulting a retail worker. This would increase sentencing, stiffen deterrents, and improve the visibility of violence against retail workers so that police can allocate the necessary resources to tackle this blight.
It is currently unclear if the Bill will apply to all people working in customer facing roles, as is the case in Scotland. The BRC is calling on the government to ensure that the final Act ensures the extension of protections to delivery drivers.
Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the BRC, said:
“Christmas should be a time for everyone. Retail colleagues are working incredibly hard to keep shelves stocked, serve customers and deliver gifts. Abuse or violence of any kind is simply unacceptable and we ask the public to stand with us in the fight against retail crime and shop kind this Christmas.”
James Lowan, Chief Executive of ACS, said:
“Colleagues across the industry work incredibly hard to serve their communities, yet far too many continue to face violence, abuse and intimidation for simply doing their jobs. This festive season, we are reminding everyone that colleagues are doing their very best to make this time of year special for us all. Please shop with kindness, patience and respect.”
Joanne Thomas, General Secretary of Usdaw, said:
“The run-up to Christmas is always a really busy time for retail workers, as customers can be stressed and things can boil over. Retail staff are people too, they will be working really hard to make the customer experience as enjoyable as possible and deserve respect. Many will go home after a shift upset about an unpleasant incident that took place at work and worried that it will happen to them again. That is why Usdaw, the retail trade union, is asking customers to ‘keep your cool’, so that everyone can have a happier Christmas.”
Chris Brook-Carter, Chief Executive of Retail Trust, said:
“We all have a role to play in restoring kindness and respect to retail and this starts with something as simple as a greeting, a thank you or a smile when shopping this Christmas. Even the smallest acts of recognition can make a huge difference to people who tell us they are being ignored, disrespected and shouted at every day, and who are dreading Christmas because that’s when abuse and violence peaks.”
