The ShopKind campaign, a national initiative promoting kindness and respect towards retail workers, is set to relaunch today (Monday 30 June).
Coordinated by the Home Office and the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS), and backed by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), the campaign aims to address the growing issue of abuse, threats, and violence faced by shop staff across the UK.
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Uniting retailers and authorities against shopworker abuse
ShopKind brings together a wide range of stakeholders, including retailers, trade unions, police forces, and government representatives, to confront unacceptable behaviour in retail environments.
The campaign week will feature coordinated activity across social media platforms, with participation from parliamentarians across the devolved nations as well as Police and Crime Commissioners.
Helen Dickinson OBE, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, highlighted the urgency of the issue:
“As the number of incidents of violence and abuse against our hard-working retail colleagues rises, the #ShopKind campaign is more important than ever.” She added that victims often include “ordinary people – teenagers taking on their first job, carers looking for part-time work, parents working around childcare.”
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By GlobalDataRaising awareness to protect retail staff
The campaign seeks to raise public awareness about the real impact that verbal and physical abuse has on retail workers, who are often on the frontline of customer service.
Many workers report feeling unsafe, which can affect their wellbeing and willingness to remain in the sector.
Helen Dickinson emphasised the human cost, stating: “It is unacceptable that any of these people should ever go to work fearing for their safety. We remind customers to shop kind and be respectful to retail workers and fellow customers.”
Supporting ShopKind across the country
To encourage widespread participation, the campaign provides downloadable materials for retailers and the public to display and share, helping to reinforce respectful behaviour in shops nationwide.
The involvement of various government bodies and police authorities underlines the campaign’s importance as part of a coordinated effort to protect retail workers from harm.
The rise in abuse towards retail employees has been identified as a critical concern within the retail industry, with ShopKind positioned as a timely response to foster safer and more respectful shopping environments.
