Retail trade union Usdaw has urged shoppers to ‘keep their cool’ this Black Friday (28 November).
The call comes as the union shared the interim results of its 2025 survey, which showed 71% of retail workers had been verbally abused.
The research also highlighted that 48% of respondents reported they were threatened while working and 9% had been assaulted.
One respondent said: “Customer grabbed my throat, was sworn at, and things were thrown at me. Asked a customer to scan a bag and she got angry and started cursing at me.”
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Joanne Thomas, Usdaw general secretary, said: “When stores are busy, customers can get frustrated with queues and stock quickly disappearing off the shelves; too often that can turn into anger towards retail workers.”
She added: “Incidents of violence, threats and abuse against retail staff are already worryingly high. Interim figures from this year’s Usdaw survey reveal that nearly three-quarters of retail workers suffered abuse from customers, with far too many experiencing threats and violence.
“My Black Friday message to shoppers is clear. Enjoy your bargain hunting, keep your cool and respect retail workers.”
The final version of the survey will be published in March 2026.
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