Almost 75% shop workers experience abuse from customers

Shop workers face verbal abuse, threats and violence

Shop workers experience a high level of abuse from customers, threats and even violence, according to a survey by the shopworkers’ union USDAW.

The union carries out an annual survey of its members, and even though abuse of staff who work in retail has declined slightly, nearly three out of four reported they were being harassed by customers.

USDAW polled more than 3,000 shopworkers and found over the course of the past year 71% had experienced verbal abuse from customers, including racist and sexist abuse and aggressive swearing.

The survey found nearly half (48%) had been threatened by a customer and 9% had been assaulted.

Posters from USDAW’s new ‘Free From Fear’ campaign 

“Verbal abuse every day”

USDAW’s General Secretary Joanne Thomas welcomed the slight decline in abuse (verbal abuse down 6%, threats down 5% and assaults down 1%) but said it was still “shocking that nearly three-quarters of those working in retail are regularly facing abuse from customers, with far too many experiencing threats and violence”.

These are some of the comments shop workers shared when responding to USDAW’s survey:

“The abuse is when I ask for ID for age-restricted goods – mainly energy drinks. Have been sworn at, spat on and accused of being offensive for asking them.”

“Have had two shoplifters threaten a visiting male manager who was headbutted by one of them. Got threatened with a crowbar.”

“Customer squared up to me and kicked out at me. Items of shopping thrown. Abused for refusing alcohol. Verbal abuse every day. Called a c**t.”

“Threats like, ‘I will see you outside’, ‘I have a knife’ and ‘you can’t stop me – I am walking out with it’. Customer threw a pack of peaches.”

Shoplifter filling his bag from the shelves in Boots in Chiswick

Union backs ending £200 threshold on prosecuting shoplifters

Joanne Thomas welcomed the Government’s Crime and Policing Bill, saying it would improve things for shopworkers:

“This new legislation will deliver a much-needed protection of retail workers’ law; end the indefensible £200 threshold for prosecuting shoplifters, which has effectively become an open invitation to retail criminals…

“The Chancellor announced funding to tackle the organised criminals responsible for the increase in shoplifting and the Government has promised more uniformed officer patrols in shopping areas. It is our hope that these new measures will continue a downward trend in incidents”.

CCTV of a gang who targeted mobile phone shops, including one on Chiswick High Road, who have been jailed for a total of more than 55 years

Increased focus on retail crime by police and politicians

Paul Gerrard, Director – Campaigns, Public Affairs and Policy, Co-op, said:

“We know the tide of criminality can be turned and we have seen a welcome decline in the level of crime in the Co-op during 2025. However, any level of abuse or assaults against our colleagues is too high”.

The Co-Op in Chiswick High Road is one of the stores in Chiswick which has been hit with almost daily instances of shoplifting. The Chiswick Calendar highlighted the staggering amount of shoplifting that happens regularly, and often by the same people, two years ago:

READ ALSO: Dramatic rise in shoplifting, theft and pickpocketing in Chiswick shops

Since then, police increased their presence in the High Road and crime in shops has received more attention from politicians nationally.

READ ALSO: Politicians, both national and local, react to record level of theft

READ ALSO: Police target shoplifting in Chiswick

READ ALSO: Shoplifting crackdown announced in King’s Speech

Just last week a gang who robbed mobile phone shop in Chiswick High Road was jailed as a result of a Metropolitan Police investigation across London:

READ ALSO: Gang who robbed mobile phone shop in Chiswick High Road jailed

Posters from USDAW’s new ‘Free From Fear’ campaign 

“It is clear police have changed their response significantly”

The Government has introduced a new offence of assaulting retail workers. Paul Gerrard said:

“It is clear police have changed their response significantly with the implementation of the Retail Crime Action Plan and, the multiple police partnerships we have in place across the UK work effectively to remove the most prolific and persistent offenders off the streets. But this must be just the start.

“We need the police to continue to attend more often and we need the Government to maintain the focus they have on the issue”.

Keep your cool

Retail workers receive threats and abuse from shoplifters, but they also receive them from ordinary paying customers and in the run up to Christmas, when things get particularly fraught, the shopworkers’ union has launched a campaign calling on the shopping public to ‘respect retail workers’ and ‘keep your cool’.

The ‘Freedom From Fear’ campaign seeks to prevent violence, threats and abuse against workers by engaging the public, shop workers and the Government.