The charity has launched the Let’s Respect Retail campaign, which calls on shoppers to “help restore humanity to the high street this Christmas”, by respecting staff with simple gestures such as saying hello, thank you or smiling.

The campaign follows new research results collected by the charity, which found that over three-quarters of shop staff had experienced intimidating behaviour in the last year and a quarter were physically assaulted.

Of those experiencing abuse, 62% said they felt stressed and anxious going into work and 43% said they were looking to quit their job or the retail industry altogether as a result. Close to half of all shop workers said they now felt unsafe at work and 43% said they were being abused or attacked every week – a 10% rise on the response last year.

The campaign will run digitally, with Retail Week and its parent company William Reed having donated digital space to help raise awareness, as well as across out-of-home advertising with video contributions from ambassadors, influencers and members of the public.

Retail Trust chief executive Chris Brook-Carter said: “Making the assault of a retail worker a specific offence will help the police deal with serious crimes, but it will do little to stop the rudeness, hostility and contempt that shop workers tell us they face during every shift.

“What was once occasional frustration has become routine abuse and we’re being contacted by people who are ignored, disrespected and shouted at every single day. They are being targeted by shoppers who treat retail workers as less than human and not even worthy of looking up from their phones for. This is taking a massive toll on people’s mental health, and many feel they have no option but to leave jobs they once loved.

“It’s time for this to stop but it will take a collective effort. Our message at the Retail Trust is clear. Next time you are interacting with a shop worker, take time to look up, say hello, thank you and smile. Even the simplest acts of recognition can make a huge difference for people who are facing daily hostility, and it will make shopping a better experience for everyone.”

A YouGov poll of 2,000 UK adults found nearly a quarter (24%) had forgotten to make eye contact or smile at a shop worker, and 20% had forgotten to say hello or thank you.

A further 71% of shoppers admitted to getting annoyed with a shop worker, delivery driver or someone working in customer services. Of these, 13% said they raised their voice or lost their temper.

BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “The appalling level of incidents of violence and abuse against our retail colleagues has got to stop. Those facing these confrontations are ordinary, hard-working retail colleagues – teenagers taking on their first job, carers looking for part-time work, parents working around childcare. No one should ever go to work fearing for their safety. We remind customers to be kind and respectful to retail workers as well as fellow customers.”

The Retail Trust’s Let’s Respect Retail campaign has also been supported by Zebra, Sensormatic, Reveal Media, VoCoVo, Foot Anstey, Usdaw, Manhattan Associates, Maze, Karcher and GXO.

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