Usdaw launches new survey
Retail trade union Usdaw has today (18 March) launched shocking statistics from its annual survey of Scottish retail staff, showing that abuse and threats remain at high levels.
With shoplifting having more than doubled since the pandemic, the survey found that abuse, threats and assaults remain higher than pre-Covid levels in 2019.
Usdaw’s survey of 1,062 Scottish retail staff found that in 2025:
· 76% were verbally abused.
· 50% were threatened.
· 11% were assaulted.
Voices from the frontline:
These are some of the comments retail workers from Scotland shared when responding to Usdaw’s survey:
· “Asked a barred customer to leave: when turned round, got punched in face. Been screamed at multiple times for following policy and doing my job correctly.”
· “Customer spat on me and verbally assaulted me when I refused a refund on an unwanted toilet seat, which had been opened and used.”
· “Homophobic abuse, pushing and physical abuse. I get shouted at frequently and treated like a lesser being. I was punched in the face by a customer.”
· “I have been threatened with stabbing, being assaulted and had many incidents of verbal abuse as the result of thieves and people who have been asked for ID.”
· “Abuse usually happens at self-scan tills. Not enough staff, faults with machines, incorrect reductions, labels not printed correctly. Customers blame the staff.”
· “Sexually touched when working on the shop floor. Customers lashing out when asked for ID. Physical and verbal abuse in and outside of work.”
Tony Doonan – Usdaw regional secretary for Scotland says: “It is difficult to read these testimonies from Scottish retail workers, but regrettably they are all too common, with nearly four in five retail workers suffering violence, threats or abuse.
“No-one should feel afraid to go to work. Retail workers provide an essential service and should be respected and have the protection of the law.
“Violence and abuse are not an acceptable part of the job and much more needs to be done to protect retail workers. We were delighted to have won the campaign for a protection of workers law in the Scottish Parliament, but that is the beginning – not the end.
“We have to ensure that the legislation is central to tackling a growing wave of retail crime, and Usdaw looks forward to working with Police Scotland and employers to make that happen.”
