bp extends Retail Trust partnership to strengthen wellbeing support for frontline retail workers 

bp has extended its partnership with the Retail Trust, committing to a five-year collaboration aimed at strengthening mental health and wellbeing support for retail workers across the UK. 

The renewed agreement marks the first time a retailer has signed up to the Retail Trust’s services for a five-year period, with funding set to support the next phase of digital wellbeing support for the sector. 

The partnership builds on work that began in 2023, when bp became the first forecourt retailer to embed the Retail Trust’s services into its operations. Since then, employees have been given access to a range of support, including counselling, financial aid and a virtual GP service. All new store managers also receive training designed to help them better support their teams. 

The move reflects growing recognition of the pressures faced by frontline retail workers, particularly as incidents of abuse continue to rise. According to the Retail Trust, close to half of retail employees reported being abused or attacked on a weekly basis last year. 

bp is among a number of major retailers backing the charity’s Let’s Respect Retail campaign, which aims to protect shop workers and tackle escalating levels of abuse. Employees have also taken part in specialist training to help them respond to threatening situations. 

Alongside direct support services, bp has used the Retail Trust’s generative AI-powered happiness dashboard to track employee wellbeing and identify emerging trends across its workforce. The insight has helped inform interventions and contributed to bp being named the retail sector’s Happiest Place to Work at the 2025 Retail Week Awards. 

Andy Allen, UK retail operations director at bp, said: “Our colleagues are the heart of our retail business, particularly those working on the frontline in our stores every day. We know these roles can be demanding, and it is important that people feel supported, listened to and valued, not just when things are going well, but when they are under pressure too. Our partnership with the Retail Trust has helped us put meaningful support in place, from training for new store managers to confidential services colleagues can access whenever they need them. Extending this partnership allows us to build on what we have learned so far, use insight more effectively, and continue creating a positive, supportive environment where our people can thrive.” 

The extended partnership will also support the development of new digital tools aimed at increasing access to wellbeing services across the retail workforce. 

Chris Brook Carter, chief executive of the Retail Trust, said: “bp’s partnership with the Retail Trust has given thousands of retail workers access to practical and meaningful support over the last three years, and demonstrates just how seriously bp takes the wellbeing of its colleagues. Extending our partnership will allow us to build on this work and help us invest in new ways to reach and support even more retail workers in the years ahead.” 

bp is one of more than 200 retailers working with the Retail Trust to support employee mental health, as the sector continues to respond to rising demand for accessible, practical wellbeing support. 

For the wider retail industry, the partnership highlights a shift towards more embedded and data-led approaches to workplace wellbeing, particularly for frontline employees. As pressure on retail workers continues to grow, the focus is increasingly on providing support that is accessible, consistent and able to respond to real-time employee needs.