Almost half of consumers have witnessed attacks on shopworkers, research reveals

A survey by NFU Mutual shows supermarkets are the worst affected, with 31% of customers witnessing an incident there, followed by high street shops (20%), pubs (18%), and restaurants (16%).

The research further revealed that 60% of customers have experienced increased anxiety visiting a retail or hospitality venue over the past year. Supermarket visits caused the most worry, with 43% reporting increased anxiety when visiting these venues, followed by pubs (34%), restaurants (33%), and high street shops (32%).

Frank Woods, retail sector specialist at NFU Mutual, said: “The correlation between customer anxiety and abuse incidents suggests that these heightened emotions are translating to an increased risk for customer-facing staff.

“Nobody should have to suffer abuse in the workplace, especially when enforcing company – and in some cases legal – requirements. Our research shows that Coronavirus measures have been at the root of many abuse incidents in the last year, with 23% of consumers having witnessed incidents related to mask challenges, and 22% reporting issues resulting from social distancing rules.”

Despite ongoing cause for concern, almost half of businesses surveyed do not take any measures to minimise the risk of workplace violence.

Woods added: “Taking action to prevent retail violence is a crucial step in protecting staff welfare. Insurance can provide cover against legal action, injuries, and property damage, but businesses should make additional preparations.

“We would urge employers to put tailored measures in place, especially provision of appropriate staff training. Not only does training ensure staff are prepared to deal with incidents, it could prove important to a retailer’s reputation, and influence a consumer’s future shopping habits. Forty percent of consumers said they would be more likely to return to a venue if a retail violence incident was well-handled.”