Daily Incidents of Abuse Against Retail Workers
Retail workers across the UK are now facing an average of 1,600 incidents of abuse and violence every single day, according to new data from the British Retail Consortium.
While the report notes some progress on retail crime, it is clear that frontline staff, particularly women and younger workers, continue to experience verbal abuse, threats and physical violence at unacceptable levels.
Why It Matters
The Community Context
Retail workers are often the first point of contact in our communities. Abuse directed at shop staff doesn’t just impact individuals, it affects:
Staff wellbeing and retention
High street confidence
Night-time economy safety
Local perceptions of crime
Wider community cohesion
There is also a strong intersectional dimension. Women, ethnic minority staff and younger employees can face disproportionate harassment, often in environments where reporting feels futile or unsupported.
Retail crime and abuse frequently link to:
Anti-social behaviour
Substance misuse
Transport-related incidents
Repeat hotspot locations
imabi’s View
Reducing abuse and violence requires more than enforcement. It requires:
Clear reporting pathways for staff
Real-time visibility of repeat hotspots
Coordinated alerts between retail, transport and local authorities
Insight-led prevention strategies
Through imabi Travel Guardian, imabi Connect, and imabi Pro we support:
🟠 Retail and frontline workers to report abuse discreetly, share geolocated incident data and access trusted support (imabi Pro)
🔵 Local authorities and Business Improvement Districts to identify trends, map hotspots and issue targeted safety communications (imabi Connect)
🟣 Communities to contribute insight via Your Voice, strengthening collective intelligence (imabi Travel Guardian)
Abuse doesn’t stop at the shop door - it often begins or ends on public transport, in shared public spaces, or across night-time economy environments.
Integrating intersectional safety alerts and transport-linked reporting into community communications is essential to protecting frontline teams and reducing repeat harm.