The Welsh Retail Consortium and trade union Usdaw are urging Welsh shoppers to be considerate to all retail workers and customers this Christmas.
As the busy festive trading period gets into full swing the two organisations are calling on shoppers to play their part in creating a safe and enjoyable retail experience.
WRC and Usdaw are throwing their weight behind the industry’s festive ‘ShopKind’ campaign which comes as levels of thefts from stores and abuse and violence towards those in customer service continues to climb.
Polling published earlier this year by the Welsh Retail Consortium found that one in six Welsh shoppers had witnessed verbal or physical abuse of shop staff in the previous 12 months. Interim results from Usdaw’s latest survey show that more than 70% of retail workers have experienced abuse from customers in the past year.
Retail is one of Wales’ largest private sector employers with 121,000 directly working in the industry.
The two organisations said that Christmas is an incredibly complex and challenging time of year for the retail industry.
It is therefore essential all shoppers play their part in creating a friendly and enjoyable environment for other customers and workers this Christmas, and the WRC and Usdaw said they were asking for patience, kindness and consideration during this busy time.
Sara Jones, Head of the Welsh Retail Consortium, said:
“As the clock counts down to Christmas Day retail stores and websites will become increasingly busy. People in retail will again be doing a brilliant job working hard to look after customers, helping them find what they need, keeping shelves stocked and delivering goods. While this time of year can be a little stressful, any mistreatment of store colleagues and delivery drivers will not be tolerated. Confrontations, be it verbal abuse or physical assault, can take a huge toll on victims, their families and their colleagues. When everyone shows a little Christmas kindness and courtesy – everyone will be better off. That way we can all enjoy shopping over the festive period and support local jobs and the vibrancy of our high streets and retail destinations.”
Mike Walker, Regional Secretary, Usdaw said:
“People across retail work incredibly hard over the busy festive period to make sure everyone can get the gifts and items they are looking for and enjoy the excellent shopping experiences that Wales has to offer. They deserve to be treated with respect and kindness and there is no place whatsoever for any abuse or violence towards shopworkers. We urge customers to treat retail workers the way they would like to be treated and to shop kind this festive period, that way everyone can enjoy their shopping experience as we celebrate Christmas.”
