A fifth of UK customers have witnessed violence or abuse of shopworkers

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More than 14 million people across the UK have witnessed violence or abuse against retail workers in the last year, according to new survey data from the BRC.

That equates to over a fifth of the population (21%) who have witnessed incidents including racial or sexual abuse of shop workers, or physical assault and threats with weapons while shopping, according to the data by BRC and Opinium.

The survey also found that nearly a quarter of the UK population (23%) has witnessed shoplifting, which the BRC said highlights the “scale of the issue facing stores all over the country”.

Experiences vary significantly across regions in the UK. London recorded the highest proportion of people witnessing violence and abuse (32%). Yorkshire and Humberside followed at 26%, with the North East next at 23%. The East of England recorded the lowest figure, with 13% of customers witnessing an incident.

The picture was a little different for shop theft. London and the West Midlands recorded the highest level (29%), followed by Yorkshire and Humberside and the North West (26%), the South East (25%), and the South West (24%).

It comes as the BRC’s most recent retail crime report found that while incidents of crime came down last year, they were still high. There were 1,600 incidents of violence and abuse against retail workers every day last year – the second highest amount ever seen on record.

The BRC said that violence and abuse aren’t just limited to store staff, and that delivery drivers are also often subject to abuse, physical violence, and threats with weapons.

British Retail Consortium chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “For too many people, violence and abuse are now part of the shopping experience. An incident might last seconds, but for workers and bystanders, the impact can last a lifetime.

“The Crime and Policing Bill is an important step towards protecting retail workers and tackling crime. But as drafted, it falls short. Retail workers in England and Wales deserve the same protections as those in Scotland, including delivery drivers. Everyone in a customer-facing role should be protected – no exceptions.”