Sainsbury’s is joining the Retail Trust’s Let’s Respect Retail campaign, becoming the largest grocery retailer to support the initiative as the industry prepares for the busy Christmas trading period.
From November, the UK’s second-largest food retailer will encourage shoppers to treat store colleagues with greater kindness and respect. Campaign messages will appear in stores, online and on receipts, highlighting the impact of abuse and crime on people working in retail.
The initiative, led by the Retail Trust, aims to improve customer behaviour and tackle the abuse faced by shop workers. Hundreds of retail and leisure businesses are expected to support the campaign in November.
The Retail Trust says more than three-quarters of shop workers reported experiencing customer abuse last year, underlining the scale of the problem across the sector.
Retailers join forces to tackle abuse
The campaign brings together businesses and industry organisations, including Usdaw, the Association of Convenience Stores and the National Business Crime Centre, to raise awareness of retail crime and the treatment of frontline staff.
The Retail Trust also provides training and practical support to help workers manage abusive situations. Landsec, for example, is extending support to retail workers across 17 shopping destinations nationwide this autumn.
For supermarkets, the issue is particularly important during Christmas, when higher customer numbers, longer queues and pressure on store teams can make the working environment more demanding.
Tracey Clements, Chief Retail, Logistics and Supply Chain Officer at Sainsbury’s, said: “No colleague should come to work worrying about abuse, threats or violence, which can have a serious and lasting impact on their wellbeing.”
She added that Sainsbury’s was investing in measures to protect colleagues and customers, but stressed that the industry needed to work together to address the problem.
A wider challenge for the retail industry
Chris Brook-Carter, chief executive of the Retail Trust, said Sainsbury’s backing would help the campaign reach millions of shoppers.
He said retail and leisure businesses were demonstrating their determination to tackle abuse and violence in shops and shopping centres while providing more support for workers at risk.
The campaign’s message is straightforward: everyday courtesy, including a greeting or a simple thank you, should be part of the customer experience.
For retailers, however, tackling abuse requires more than public awareness. Staff support, appropriate training and practical measures to improve workplace safety remain important as businesses enter one of the busiest periods of the year.
