A coalition of industry groups across the retail landscape has joined forces to launch a new campaign against retail violence.
The coalition, comprising the Shopping Centre Council of Australia (SCCA), National Retail Association (NRA), Australian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS), Australian Security Industry Association Limited (ASIAL), Pharmacy Guild of Australia, and the Building Service Contractors Association of Australia (BSCAA), is urging shoppers to treat staff with courtesy as anti-social incidents continue to escalate in retail settings.
Dubbed the ‘Be Kind in Retail’ campaign, the initiative aims to promote kindness and respect toward frontline staff during the busy Christmas period.
The campaign, with the slogan ‘Kindness Never Goes Out of Style’, will display advertisements on digital and print media nationwide, including more than 300 shopping centres and over 3,500 digital screens, with a commercial advertising value estimated at $7 million.
“It’s really pleasing to launch the Be Kind in Retail campaign with our partners from the retail, pharmacy, fuel and convenience, security and cleaning industries, with a simple message for the community to be kind and show respect in our retail environments this Christmas,” said Angus Nardi, Chief Executive of the SCCA.
“Any incident that causes harm to someone is simply tragic, and we are calling on the community to help stamp out needless aggression and violence against workers in retail settings.”
Theo Foukkare, CEO of AACS, echoed the sentiments of Nardi.
“Workers across our industry are experiencing an alarming level of intolerable abuse, particularly in fuel and convenience stores, and they deserve respect and kindness at all times.”
Reports indicate that retail workers are frequently subjected to aggressive behaviour, ranging from verbal abuse to physical threats and even assaults involving weapons. Many incidents are unrelated to theft, highlighting a disturbing trend of unprovoked hostility in these environments.
This behaviour has serious impacts on the mental and physical wellbeing of retail employees, who face these risks daily.
Security staff also find themselves on the frontline, as Bryan de Caires, Chief Executive Officer of ASIAL, explained.
“Security officers play a key role in community safety and are often on the frontline of terrible incidents, putting themselves in harm’s way. The tragic incident at Westfield Bondi this year highlights the dangers faced by security officers, and we are asking the community to treat security officers with kindness and respect as they assist and interact with you during the busy Christmas period.”
To stay up to date on the latest industry headlines, sign up to the C&I e-newsletter.