Leading representatives from the retail sector, and the Home Office, have united to launch the latest #ShopKind campaign, which aims to recognise the key role retail workers play in their communities.
The campaign seeks to encourage kind behaviour towards shop staff, while recognising and raising awareness of the scale of abuse they are often subject to.
The campaign is endorsed by the government, and organisations including the Association of Convenience Stores, the British Retail consortium, and USDAW, the Shopworkers Union.
USDAW data indicates 77% of shop staff have suffered verbal abuse over the past 12 months, with 53% reporting that they have been threatened while at work.
Retailers wishing to promote the campaign can download resources from the National business Crime Centre’s website.
Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson said that retail theft and abuse of shop workers are “unacceptable”, and the government is seeking to tackle the issue with the Crime and Policing Bill making its way through parliament. Among the changes contained in the bill is the introduction of a new law that will make it a specific offence to assault a shopworker.
James Lowman, ACS chief executive, commented: “We hope that the campaign reminds everyone to be considerate to shopworkers, and that it will continue to raise awareness about the violence and abuse that they face when serving their communities.”
