The Retail Trust will light up big screens with “smiles of respect” across the UK as part of its ‘Let’s Respect Retail’ campaign.
The initiative, which will run from Black Friday (28 November) onwards, aims to confront the abuse facing the country’s retail workers. Smiles from industry leaders, shop workers and members of the public will feature across sites such as Heathrow Airport, London’s Piccadilly Lights and Flannels‘ Oxford Street store.
This comes as research from the not-for-profit, published earlier this month, highlighted 77% of retail workers experienced intimidating behaviour in the last year and 23% of staff were physically assaulted.
It also showed 43% of respondents reported they were being abused every week, a rise of 10% from last year.
As part of its efforts to stop the abuse, the charity asks consumers to show workers simple gestures of respect such as a hello, thank you or a smile.
Shoppers will be able to upload their own smiles of respect on social media and the charity’s website. Shared smiles will feature on the Piccadilly Lights screen on 17 December.
Chris Brook-Carter, chief executive of the Retail Trust, said: “Thoughtless, unkind and aggressive behaviour has become ‘part of the job’ for too many shop workers today. It’s on all of us to help bring humanity back to the high street this Christmas, starting with acts as simple as a thank you, a greeting, and a smile.
“The smiles being shared across the country represent the Retail Trust’s call for dignity and decency. We know that the smallest acts of respect still make a huge difference to people who are facing daily hostility at work and this is our moment to prove that and to change behaviour.”
Theo Paphitis, chairman of Theo Paphitis Retail Group including Ryman, Robert Dyas, Boux Avenue and London Graphic Centre added: “The retail industry is one of the most supportive around, as shown by the warmth for, and engagement with, this year’s important ‘Let’s Respect Retail’ campaign.
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