More than half of retail workers face weekly abuse 

More than half of UK retail workers now experience abuse or violence from customers every week, with rising aggression leaving employees anxious about going to work and almost half considering leaving the sector.

 The latest annual survey of 1,138 retail workers by the Retail Trust found that 54 per cent experience abusive or violent incidents weekly, compared with 43 per cent in 2025 and 33 per cent in 2024.

Almost eight in 10 (79 per cent) reported experiencing abuse or violence in the past year, while 23 per cent said they had experienced abuse involving a physical attack, including being kicked or hit.

The findings, released on 9 November to coincide with the launch of the Retail Trust’s Let’s Respect Retail campaign, highlight growing concerns about the psychological and physical safety of employees working in customer-facing roles.

Among workers affected by abuse, 70 per cent said they felt stressed or anxious about going to work, while 36 per cent reported feeling unsafe in their workplace. A further 21 per cent felt unsafe travelling to or from work.

Almost half (48 per cent) said worsening abuse had made them consider leaving their job or the retail industry altogether, up from 43 per cent in 2025.

The findings raise questions for employers about the long-term impact of repeated customer aggression on workforce health, employee retention and psychological safety.

They also suggest abusive behaviour is becoming increasingly normalised. More than two-thirds (68 per cent) of respondents believed dealing with abusive customers had become part of their job, while 80 per cent felt they were expected to tolerate rudeness and disrespect.

Chris Brook-Carter, chief executive of the Retail Trust, said: “Our country’s shop workers have had enough of being shouted at, threatened and treated with contempt. We’re hearing from people who are frightened to come into work because they don’t know what they’ll face that day, and from others who have been pushed to breaking point by repeated abuse.

“Retail is one of the few places where millions of strangers still interact face-to-face and there has been a disturbing shift over the last few years where behaviour that would once have been considered completely unacceptable is increasingly being seen as part of the job. This is damaging people’s confidence, destroying morale and driving good people out of a sector they once loved.”

For employers, the findings reinforce the importance of treating customer aggression as a workplace health and safety risk rather than an unavoidable feature of customer-facing work.

This is particularly relevant as businesses face greater scrutiny of their responsibilities to prevent harassment by third parties, including customers.

The Retail Trust’s campaign comes shortly after legislative changes highlighted by the charity concerning employer responsibilities for preventing customer harassment, adding to the need for organisations to review their risk assessments, reporting procedures and employee protection measures.

Effective prevention may involve staff training, clear escalation procedures, security measures, support following incidents and a workplace culture in which employees feel confident reporting abuse.

It also requires employers to recognise that psychological safety extends beyond relationships between colleagues and managers to include interactions with customers and members of the public.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “No one should go to work fearing for their safety, yet the Retail Trust’s findings are a stark reminder that violence and abuse against retail workers remain endemic.

“The BRC is proud to support the Let’s Respect Retail campaign ahead of the busy Christmas period, reminding us all that starting with a simple ‘hello’ and showing a little kindness can make a world of difference to the people behind the counter. The three million who work in retail tirelessly to serve our communities deserve it.”

The campaign, launched ahead of the Christmas shopping period, is encouraging customers to show greater respect towards retail employees through a nationwide Start with hello initiative.

The campaign is supported by major retailers and employers including Sainsbury’s, Next, EE and Currys.

Tracey Clements, chief retail, logistics and supply chain officer at Sainsbury’s, said: “These figures show the devastating impact retail crime is having on shop workers across the UK and how commonplace this behaviour has become, with the majority of retail colleagues now experiencing abuse, threats or intimidation every single week.

“Making sure our colleagues and customers feel safe is our absolute priority, which is why we’re investing heavily in measures to identify those who cause harm when they enter our stores, prevent them from returning and work with the police to make sure they’re held responsible for their actions. No retailer can tackle this alone and we’re standing with the Retail Trust to ask everyone to treat the colleagues helping them with the kindness and respect they deserve.”

Andrew Jurd, head of retail HR at Next, said: “At NEXT, we are committed to supporting the Retail Trust’s Let’s Respect Retail campaign and join others across the industry in encouraging basic kindness, patience, and respect in our shops. Nobody should have to put up with aggression or abuse just for doing their job.

“We know the daily pressures and difficult customer interactions our store teams can face, and we want to ensure they have practical backing, straightforward ways to report incidents, clear safety guidance, and dependable wellbeing support and resources whenever they need them.”

The findings also carry implications beyond retail, particularly for employers in hospitality, leisure, transport and other sectors where employees regularly interact with the public.

Customer aggression is not simply a matter of poor behaviour. Where it becomes frequent or normalised, it can represent a significant psychosocial risk with consequences for employee health, confidence, engagement and retention.

With the busiest retail period approaching, the Retail Trust’s findings underline the need for employers to consider both immediate physical safety and the longer-term psychological effects of repeated abuse.

The research was conducted anonymously between 8 July and 14 August 2026 among retail workers who had previously been in contact with the Retail Trust. As a result, the findings should not be treated as a nationally representative estimate of all UK retail workers.