The #ShopKind campaign urges the public to be mindful of shopworkers’ essential role serving the public and emphasises that workers should be treated with respect, kindness and gratitude. Over 86% of shoppers recognise that shopworkers face a much higher workload during the Christmas period, but there remains a minority of people that are aggressive and, in the worst cases, physically violent towards people working in shops. #ShopKind is supported by retailers, the Home Office, Crimestoppers and Usdaw.
Paddy Lillis - Usdaw General Secretary says: “We very much welcome the #ShopKind initiative that seeks to promote respect, kindness and gratitude. The Christmas campaign is particularly important in the run-up to the festive period, when shops are busier, customers can be stressed and things can boil over. We are saying loud and clear that abuse is not a part of the job. So we join in asking customers to keep their cool and respect shopworkers.”
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest trade union with over 380,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades.
#ShopKind Polling: New polling by Yonder on behalf of #ShopKind of 1,086 UK shoppers between 15th and 17th October 2021 found:
- 38% of shoppers have witnessed shopworkers being verbally or physically abused.
- 86% of consumers acknowledge that shopworkers face much higher workloads during the Christmas period.
- 58% of consumers will be visiting their high streets to do their Christmas shopping.
#ShopKind is Home Office funded and a retail-industry backed campaign that aims to; raise awareness about the levels of violence and abuse against shopworkers, encourage positive behaviour in shops and acknowledges the essential roll of shopworkers in serving the public.
Crimestoppers is an independent charity helping communities to ‘Speak up. Stay safe.’ Their 0800 555 111 telephone number and website crimestoppers-uk.org gives people the power to speak up and pass on information about crime 100% anonymously.
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter
@UsdawUnion