Treat shop staff kindly at Christmas says anti-abuse campaign, as MPs and retailers sing from same hymnsheet

The ShopKind campaign says 38% of customers have witnessed abuse and violence against shopworkers, with the latest data revealing 450 retail staff are abused each day.

The campaign is asking the public to be mindful of shopworkers’ essential role and to treat them with respect and kindness.

It is being supported by the Association of Convenience Stores, retailers and shopworkers union Usdaw.

Kit Malthouse, the government minister for policing, said: “It is completely unacceptable for anyone to threaten or assault shop workers, and this government won’t stand for it.

“We are taking actions including by backing the #ShopKind campaign that provide better support to retail workers and encourage customers to treat them with dignity.”

Southern Co-op is among the retailers backing the campaign. Gareth Lewis, its loss prevention and security manager, said: “Christmas is not always a happy time of year for everyone and the pressure can become overwhelming.

“Our store colleagues often bear the brunt of this as it quickly turns into rage and an unacceptable verbal attack.

“While there have been some improvements in crime levels, sadly, verbal abuse has increased across our 200 stores by 26% over the last 12 months compared with the previous year.

“So, while we continue to invest in and take action to protect our colleagues, we would urge everyone to think and shop kind this Christmas.”