By Kim Samuel

As if by magic, shops and supermarkets are once again decked out with festive cheer.

For shoppers, it’s a reminder that the most wonderful time of the year is upon us. But for retail workers, it can herald stress, isolation, and rising abuse.

Shop assistants are a critical, yet under-appreciated part of the festive season. They were essential during the pandemic, and our main source of connection during lockdown.

And since then, they are operating in ever-tighter staffing and pay conditions, whilst the number of self-checkouts has risen by more than 45 per cent, meaning that, increasingly, they’re only spoken to when something is wrong.

These conditions fuel a troubling reality: the growing abuse retail workers face.

This year, the UK has experienced the highest levels of retail worker mistreatment ever recorded. The British Retail........

© LBC