'Serious challenge' | Soaring abuse of shop staff is an issue for all HR teams, not just retailers

Nine in 10 retail workers have reported suffering abuse from customers as a result of the cost-of-living crisis, but it’s not just an issue for supermarkets’ people officers to solve by themselves...

New figures have revealed that customers are increasingly taking out their frustrations on shop workers. A survey of 2000 people, conducted by industry charity The Retail Trust and first shared with ITV News, found that 71% of these owning up to losing their temper at staff as a result of soaring shelf prices.

Around 90% of retail staff told the Trust they have experienced some form of abuse from customers, whilst more than two-thirds say the issue has worsened over the past two years.