Deputy First Minister, Kate Forbes, the Scottish Retail Consortium and trade union, Usdaw, are urging Scottish shoppers to be considerate to all retail workers and customers this Christmas as part of the industry’s ShopKind campaign.
The initiative 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 Scottish Retail Consortium found that one in six Scots had witnessed verbal or physical abuse of shop staff in the previous twelve months. Interim results from Usdaw’s latest survey shows over two thirds of retail workers have experienced abuse from customers in the past year.
Retail is Scotland’s largest private sector employer with 235,000 Scots directly working in the industry. The festive season is a crucial trading period for many shops, with every purchase helping to support jobs in local retail and throughout the supply chain. Christmas is an incredibly complex and challenging time of year for the retail industry. Everyone is working extra hard to keep shelves stocked and to deliver products. Consequently, stores, delivery services, and eateries will naturally be a little busier.
It is therefore essential all Scots play their part in creating a friendly and enjoyable environment for other customers and workers this Christmas, and the SRC and Usdaw are asking for patience, kindness and consideration during this busy time.
Last week the SRC and Usdaw met with the Scottish Government’s Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes MSP to unveil the ‘tis the season to ShopKind’ poster. Edinburgh Southern MSP Daniel Johnson has marked the campaign in the Scottish Parliament by tabling a Parliamentary Motion (S6M-19941 | Scottish Parliament Website) praising the initiative from employers and trade unions.
David Lonsdale, Director, Scottish 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.”
Tony Doonan, Scottish 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 Scotland 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.”
Voices from the frontline: These are some of the comments retail workers shared when responding to Usdaw’s survey:
- “Unhappy customers who verbally abuse, shout at me when things aren’t working, especially at Christmas.”
- “Customer grabbed my throat, swore at, things thrown at me. Asked a customer to scan a bag and she got angry and started cursing at me.”
- “Man taking pictures of my bum down aisle. Verbal abuse of a sexual nature from some of the older male customers.”
- “Spat at, kicked, bag thrown at me, car driven at me in car park and told ‘remember you have to leave work at some point’.”
- “As a manager, I often have to interject when a staff member is being abused. I often encounter racial slurs.”
