Sainsbury’s has become the latest grocer to back the Retail Trust’s Let’s Support Retail Campaign.
The supermarket is the biggest grocery retailer to join the campaign as it looks to push its message of treating retail staff with respect and kindness ahead of the key Christmas trading period.
As well as tackling shop worker abuse, the Retail Trust is looking to promote more positive customer behaviour, with messages appearing in stores, online and on receipts to remind customers to show simple signs of respect.
It also provides training and tools to help workers deal with abuse, including at Landsec’s 17 shopping destinations nationwide where it is rolling out support to workers this autumn.
“No colleague should come to work worrying about abuse, threats or violence, which can have a serious and lasting impact on their wellbeing,” said Sainsbury’s chief retail, logistics and supply chain officer Tracey Clements.
“We are taking action to keep colleagues and customers safe by investing in a range of measures across our sites but no retailer can tackle this alone, which is why we’re backing the Retail Trust’s Let’s Respect Retail campaign and calling on everyone to treat retail colleagues with the kindness and respect they deserve this Christmas and beyond.”
Retail Trust chief executive Chris Brook-Carter added: “Some of the UK’s biggest retail and leisure businesses have been getting behind Let’s Respect Retail, showing the industry’s determination to end the unacceptable abuse and violence plaguing our shops and shopping centres and provide more help to those at risk.
“Sainsbury’s support will allow us to reach millions of shoppers as we work together to ensure everyone working in retail is treated with respect. A greeting or a thank you is the very least anyone serving on our high streets should expect, but too many shop workers dealing with daily hostility and aggression are being denied even those smallest and simplest acts of courtesy.”
Let’s Respect Retail was first launched in 2022 while it ran its biggest consumer facing push last November. Other major grocers to support it include M&S which confirmed its backing for the campaign in August.
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