Abuse of retail staff reaches ‘shocking levels’

Retail crime and abuse of staff working in the sector continues to be a blight on communities. Recent statistics have revealed some shocking insights into what hard-working staff face on an almost-daily basis.

Retail crime and crimes against businesses and staff have been an issue for the industry for decades. Indeed, so serious has it been for retailers here that a process began to protect shop workers from violence.

This new legislation, bringing a raft of changes to sentencing in Northern Ireland, was introduced to the Assembly at the end of February.

The Sentencing Bill, which has been brought forward by the Department of Justice, will deliver more stringent sentences for a range of offences and introduces a new offence and higher sentences for assaulting those providing a service to the public or performing a public duty, notably retail staff and shop workers.

The move has been welcomed by many in the sector, particularly given recent statistics on abuse of staff in the region over the last 12 months.

More than a quarter of shoppers in Northern Ireland (26%) have witnessed the verbal or physical abuse of shop staff in the past year, ranging from foul or derogatory language, racial or sexual abuse, physical assault or threats with weapons.

The shocking insight was revealed in the latest Northern Ireland Retail Consortium – Opinium survey and was markedly higher than the UK-wide figure of 21%.

There was a glimmer of positivity however, with just 12% of customers in Northern Ireland having witnessed shoplifting taking place, compared to 23% across the UK.

Meanwhile, retail trade union Usdaw published its findings from its annual survey of Northern Ireland retail staff, which found that abuse, threats and assaults remain higher than pre-covid levels in 2019.

Its survey of 180 Northern Irish retail staff found that in 2025 87% were verbally abused, 45% were threatened and 7% were assaulted. Indeed, Northern Ireland was the top region for staff enduring the highest rate of abuse.

Some staff revealed what they have endured, with one revealing that a drunk man kicked their inside thigh trying to aim for their privates, while they also had been punched, pushed and had things thrown at them. Another said they had been sexually assaulted multiple times of the years as well as enduring verbal abuse and being stalked by someone too.

The shocking statistics show that abuse and threats remain at high levels, while shoplifting has more than doubled since the pandemic.

“It is difficult to read these testimonies from Northern Ireland retail workers, but regrettably they are all too common, with nearly four in five retail workers suffering violence, threats or abuse,” said Usdaw general secretary, Joanne Thomas.

“No-one should feel afraid to go to work. Retail workers provide an essential service and should be respected and have the protection of the law.

“Violence and abuse are not an acceptable part of the job and much more neds to be done to protect retail workers,” she added.