Walk down any high street, and you’ll see the backbone of our communities. Shops, cafes, and local businesses - they are all woven into the fabric of our daily lives.

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But behind the shop doors, colleagues face rising levels of abuse and crime. The stats around what in-store teams are facing are shocking.

More than three-quarters have dealt with intimidating behaviour, and almost a quarter have experienced physical assault (reported by the Retail Trust).

Our own independent research found that, as a result, 88% of retailers have had colleagues resign as a direct result of either verbal or physical abuse from a customer.

Not burned out or lured away by better pay - but driven out by the behaviour of people they were serving.

The British Retail Consortium’s recent reports show roughly 1,600 incidents of violence and abuse against retail colleagues a day. Shoplifting is also an ongoing problem, up by 13% to over half a million offences in the year ending June 2025.

For those working on the frontline, these are not just stats - this is their daily reality.

What’s driving this? Partly economics, partly social pressures, partly the erosion of consequences. A broader rise in frustration and tension in our society means retail colleagues, as some of the most visible public-facing workers, are increasingly bearing the brunt.

The impact of this is clear - rising crime and abuse has become one of the top reasons cited for people not wanting to work in retail at all. This is undoubtedly making a difficult recruitment and retention challenge significantly worse.

Retailers are deeply aware of this challenge. Keeping colleagues safe and giving them the support to feel secure and confident at work is a priority every day.

From staff training to technology, the sector is taking proactive steps to protect teams. There’s still more to do, but the commitment to making retail safer has never been stronger.

The Crime and Policing Bill - which introduces a specific offence for assaulting a retail worker - is a genuine step forward. It sends an important signal that retail teams should not be expected to absorb abuse or violence as part of their job. Legislation - if consistently enforced - is necessary, but it won’t solve this issue on its own.

Technology is making a real difference in the meantime. Connected communication - which gives colleagues the ability to discreetly alert others when a situation is developing - changes the dynamic.

It removes the isolation that makes frontline workers feel vulnerable, particularly during early mornings, late nights, or when smaller teams are operating in convenience stores.

When combined with CCTV and real-time theft and loss alerts it gives teams the tools to feel safer and to act quickly. Connected teams are safer teams.

Retailers are committed to making this better - I hear it in almost every conversation that I have with retail leaders. But it will take more than the sector acting alone.

Government, technology providers and society more broadly all have a clear role to play - in enforcement, in innovation that serves frontline workers and in how we treat the people who serve us every day.

If we want thriving high streets tomorrow, we must protect the people who keep them running today.

Beth Worrall is the CEO of VoCoVo

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