Several peak bodies connected to the retail industry have joined forces to launch a nationwide advertising campaign to combat retail crime and violence.
The coalition covers shopping centres, retail, security, pharmacy and cleaning industry groups.
Titled ‘Be Kind in Retail’, the campaign will run across the upcoming Christmas period as part of an ongoing collaborative effort to combat “alarming” levels of abuse, violence and the use of weapons against workers.
Such incidents, according to the coalition, include workers being yelled and sworn at, pushed and shoved, threatened and intimidated, punched, and weapons being displayed and used on them - and many incidents are not associated with the attempted theft of goods. This can often include repeat or recidivist offenders.
The new campaign will see advertisements and messaging displayed on digital and print media across the nation’s major shopping centres, with the message ‘Please be kind to our security officers, cleaners and retail workers’.
Shopping Centre Council of Australia (SCCA) members are running the campaign advertisements for free, across more than 300 shopping centres, and 3,500 digital screens, and an estimated commercial advertising value of $7 million.
The campaign will also run across each industry partners’ social media channels and in a number of retail outlets.
Including the SCCA, the coalition also includes the National Retail Association (NRA), Australian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS), Australian Security Industry Association Limited (ASIAL), Pharmacy Guild of Australia, and Building Service Contractors Association of Australia (BSCAA).
“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,” SCCA CEO Angus Nardi said.
Retail crime platform Auror reported that across nearly 700,000 total retail crime events recorded by Australian retailers in the year ending April 30, 2024, 16 per cent of all events reported into its platform included threatening or violent behaviour.
Meanwhile, more than half of those events are classified as 'serious', meaning they involve physical abuse, violence, or the use of a weapon.
According to the NRA, less than 20 per cent of retail crimes are reported to police.
“Australia’s retailers employ 1.3 million people, a lot of them being young Australians, and it is essential that all retail workers are free of abuse and violence in their workplace,” NRA interim CEO Lindsay Carroll said. “We are proud to be part of the Be Kind in Retail Campaign and continue to advocate for reforms to make retail settings safer for everyone.”
AACS CEO Theo Foukkare said his organisation represents over 100 leading suppliers as well as all major convenience retail brands nationally, collectively operating almost 7,000 retail outlets employing 80,000 staff.
“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,” Foukkare said.
National president of the Pharmacy Guild, professor Trent Twomey added that community pharmacies are providing a broader range of products and services than ever before, embedded within local communities. “It is critical that our pharmacists and team can operate in a safe environment particularly during the busy Christmas trading period.”
ASIAL CEO Bryan de Caires said security officers play a key role in community safety.
“They are often on the frontline of terrible incidents and putting themselves in harm’s way,” he said. “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.”
Meanwhile, the BSCAA CEO Kim Puxty said their cleaners across Australia are essential to maintaining clean and safe retail environments.
“Their diligent efforts ensure that places like food courts and bathrooms are welcoming and sanitary for everyone,” Puxty said. “Cleaners often work behind the scenes, yet their contributions are vital to our daily lives and the overall shopping experience. This Christmas let’s show kindness and appreciation to our cleaners.”