Be kind to retail workers this Christmas, they are our real-life elves |
By Kim Samuel
As if by magic, shops and supermarkets are once again decked out with festive cheer.
For shoppers, it’s a reminder that the most wonderful time of the year is upon us. But for retail workers, it can herald stress, isolation, and rising abuse.
Shop assistants are a critical, yet under-appreciated part of the festive season. They were essential during the pandemic, and our main source of connection during lockdown.
And since then, they are operating in ever-tighter staffing and pay conditions, whilst the number of self-checkouts has risen by more than 45 per cent, meaning that, increasingly, they’re only spoken to when something is wrong.
These conditions fuel a troubling reality: the growing abuse retail workers face.
This year, the UK has experienced the highest levels of retail worker mistreatment ever recorded. The British Retail Consortium’s latest Retail Crime Survey found violence and abuse in stores has risen........