More than half of Britain's shop workers now face abuse or attacks from customers every week, prompting the Retail Trust and the Mirror to launch the Let's Respect Retail campaign and demand ministers fast-track new legal protections before the Christmas rush.
Research by the Retail Trust found the share of workers facing weekly abuse has soared from 33% two years ago to 54% today. Overall, 79% of retail staff experienced an abusive or violent situation in the past year, and more than a third report feeling unsafe at work.
Surge in Abuse and Calls for Action
The Office for National Statistics says around three million people are employed in retail across the UK, roughly 8% of the workforce, most in customer-facing roles. This suggests around a million frontline staff face regular verbal abuse, threats or violence.
Some 38% of workers say they or a colleague have been filmed without consent, up sharply from 30% 12 months ago. Nearly half (48%) warn the relentless abuse has made them want to quit retail for good.
New Law Not Yet in Force
The Crime and Policing Act 2026 created a standalone criminal offence for assaulting a retail worker in England and Wales, carrying a penalty of up to six months in prison and an unlimited fine. However, the new law is not yet in force, prompting calls for ministers to fast-track its rollout before the festive shopping rush.
Chris Brook-Carter, chief executive of the Retail Trust, told the Mirror: "Christmas is the busiest period. We see higher levels of anxiety among shop workers, and unfortunately more assaults - partly because people are more stressed and partly because footfall is so much higher. Now is the time for this law to come in. We'd really encourage them to accelerate this process."
Industry Leaders Back the Campaign
Chris Evans, Labour MP for Caerphilly, who previously worked in a bookmakers and at a bank, backed the call. He said: "It is never acceptable for anyone to be abused simply for doing their job. I welcome government moves to make retail crime a specific offence and to put more investment into our high streets. However, it should move quickly to bring forward the commencement date of that legislation and also look to invest more in the wellbeing of retail workers as part of its newly announced High Streets Strategy."
Joanne Thomas, general secretary at shop workers' union Usdaw, added: "This is not a victimless crime. Dealing with repeated and persistent offences can cause issues beyond the theft itself, like anxiety, fear and physical harm to retail workers on the frontline."
Retailers Warn of Crisis Point
Tracey Clements, Chief Retail, Logistics and Supply Chain Officer at Sainsbury's, said: "I have worked in retail for 30 years. In that time, I've been responsible for more than 7,000 stores. And I have never seen retail crime as bad as it is today. Every morning I read about what happened in our stores the day before. Colleagues sworn at, racially abused, threatened and worse. We'll keep investing to protect our colleagues and customers. But retailers can't solve this on their own. We need government and police to make sure there are real consequences for those responsible."
This week, the charity launches its campaign as part of a nationwide week of action, teaming up with convenience store bosses, union Usdaw, and police crime chiefs. In an open letter to Mirror readers, the Retail Trust, alongside retail bosses including Theo Paphitis and high street giants Primark and Sainsbury's, urged the public to "bring respect back to shopping".
In a glimmer of hope, 83% of workers said just one friendly word from a customer can help them bounce back from abuse, inspiring the campaign's central plea to shoppers: "Start with hello." Mr Brook-Carter added: "The behaviour doesn't start in the store, it starts outside in the public. Collective action really is the only way to start turning the tide."
