Shop staff consider quitting as weekly abuse makes them feel unsafe

Shop staff have warned they feel unsafe and are looking to quit the retail industry, as new research reveals one in three is being subjected to a weekly torrent of abuse from shoppers.

The Retail Trust found that 47% fear for their safety and 39% want to leave their jobs or the industry altogether due to the rising tide of violence.

And almost half say they don’t get enough support from their employer to deal with the current levels of violence, threats and abuse. Among those who felt unsupported, the number of people considering quitting rose to 56% while three quarters admitting they feel unsafe whilst at work as a result.

Impacted workers have now been urged to take part in free skills training being offered by the charity ahead of the Christmas rush. It aims to help shop staff across the country manage another expected rise in abusive behaviour during the busy festive shopping period.

The study of 1,200 workers found that 80% of staff and 90% of store managers have faced abusive incidents at work, with verbal abuse the most common followed by threats of violence, physical assaults, and 10% saying they have been spat on. One in three experience this weekly.

The new respect retail campaign, backed by major retail companies including H&M, bp, Frasers Group and Holland & Barrett will also support businesses to bring in new measures to help staff and adopt a zero-tolerance approach to abuse after just 29% said they had received training from their employer over the last year to deal with abuse at work.

H&M will donate the proceeds of its carrier bag levy during November to help the Trust roll out its free training.

A 27-year-old shop worker from Southampton added: “I used to work in a charity shop and didn’t have any issues but moving into mainstream retail three years ago was a revelation. I’m fairly capable of standing up for myself but sometimes the comments are so rude and inappropriate I’m left open-mouthed in shock.

“Luckily, my husband also works in retail, so he understands. He’s dealt with all sorts of violent incidents, like somebody high on drugs who went for a member of staff with a needle and my husband had to rugby tackle him to the ground.”

The first time I experienced customer abuse it totally threw me,” added a 32-year-old hardware store manager from London.

“We have a policy that we can’t refund or exchange toilet seats due to hygiene and a customer was upset. In her hand was her old, unclean toilet seat and when I explained the reasons why we can’t exchange, she threw it at me. Security told her to leave but it left me shocked. Last month I was told ‘the customer is always right’ but that’s not the case.”

Chris Brook-Carter, the Retail Trust’s chief executive said: “The incidents we hear about every day are both horrifying and heartbreaking.

“People tell us they have been spat on, had products smashed up in front of them and been filmed on their phones by abusive shoppers who then threaten to post the footage on social media.

“Thousands are contacting us to say they’re now being forced to consider leaving a job they love and often have worked in for many years because they no longer feel safe there.

“This unacceptable behaviour will only get worse unless more people are empowered to speak up, better supported to deal with their experiences and most of all, get the protection they need.

“I believe that retail can still be an amazing place to build a career but we know that even just one terrible encounter can overshadow a hundred kind interactions.”

The charity is now working with more than 200 retailers and claim many are now taking the problem “extremely seriously” and are introducing new support, security and dealing more closely with the police to report this criminal behaviour.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive at the British Retail Consortium, added: “Despite the huge investment by retailers to protect their colleagues and customers, violence and abuse against staff has continued to rise, reaching over 1,300 incidents a day.

“The latest findings by the Retail Trust are yet another reminder that we must redouble our efforts to tackle retail violence and that this is essential for healthier and happier workplaces.

“Ultimately, retail is an industry that relies on the amazing efforts of three million people, and we must do what we can to support them.”