ABUSE IN RETAIL: HOW RETAILERS CAN REMAIN VIGILANT AND ASSIST THEIR SHOP WORKERS AGAINST IT.

Retailers have every right to come into work and feel safe in the environment that they are in. However, according to The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS), 89% of individuals in local shops have experienced some form of abuse while at work. 

This shockingly high number accounts for both verbal and physical abuse, harming the lifeblood of local high streets and communities.

Shopworkers themselves, regardless of those in essential retail continuing to work in order to support the very communities that put forth the abuse during the height of the pandemic, get the worst of the damage.

With the cost of living soaring and becoming so prominent, customers are turning against retail workers with the assumption of them being at fault for the rise in prices. 

Similarly, these issues can also arise when it comes to having to gatekeep products from people not of the age to purchase them; frustration can escalate to targeted anger regardless of the legalities of what is being sold- shown often through young teens getting infuriated by the refusal to be served alcohol or vapes, for example.

Other catalysts for this abuse may come from self-service frustrations and the lack of community policing, as well as the lack of availability for certain products (as seen through the PRIME Hydration rage when the drink finally stocked up on One Stop shelves; or when a customer was asked to follow the one-way system during Covid-19 and smashed wine bottles out of rage, as seen below).

Cash machine operator is increasing the amount of ATMs that charge customers to take out cash; fuelling the fire even more, as workers in local shops with ATMs will now have to answer confused customer queries and explain that it is not an individual decision made on their part.

Fortunately, there have been many moves made within the retail industry to combat these issues.

ACS have coordinated #ShopKind, a coordinated industry campaign that focuses on the growing problem of abuse and violence towards shopworkers, and what we can do to help solve the problem.

The aims of the campaign are simple; ”encourage kind behaviour in shops”, “acknowledge the essential roles of shopworkers in their communities” and to “raise the awareness of scale and impact of abuse” towards those that work in the convenience retail sector.

Thankfully, there are many campaigns similar to #ShopKind that have been put in place to help retail workers, such as GroceryAid’s newest awareness campaign, Always Open.

Always Open highlights the idea that GroceryAid is ‘always open’ and free to “provide confidential emotional, practical and financial support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to any colleague working in the grocery industry”. 

It focuses on the Charity’s Helpline, with a suite of digital materials online for workers to download and look through as a guide.

At C-Talk, we advise shopkeepers to ensure that their workers always have mental health help readily available to them; whether that be a contact number to reach out, or assistance within the store to access such information.

We’d also advise shopworkers to have a clear policy on abuse within the store, such as a sign to remind customers that such behaviour will not be tolerated and will be reported; or similarly, a sign stating that that certain items cannot be sold due to age, which gives young consumers less of a reason to try and purchase something that they shouldn’t.