Crime is a scourge on society, and an insult to shoppers and retail workers, said Ken Murphy, CEO, Tesco.
With this in mind, Murphy noted that Tesco has rolled out body-worn cameras for colleagues that need them in order to deter offenders, in its UK stores.
Warm And Welcoming
In an article published in the Mail On Sunday, Murphy, wrote, "As retailers, we work hard to make sure our stores are warm, welcoming and safe –not just for customers, but for the millions of people who stock the shelves, walk the floor and serve the tills.
"Like everyone, they deserve to be safe at work.
"But over the last couple of years, these unsung heroes are being made to feel less safe by the actions of some people: customers who will be verbally and physically abusive, or who will threaten and attack them when challenged.
"These people are small in number but have a disproportionate impact. And the number of these incidents is increasing.
Violence And Abuse
In the article, Murphy noted that The British Retail Consortium (BRC) found that incidents of violence and abuse against retail workers almost doubled from more than 450 per day in 2019-20 to more than 850 last year.
At Tesco, physical assaults are up by a third on this time last year, he added.
"This is unacceptable. And for these colleagues, their families, and all of us who know someone who works in retail, it’s heartbreaking. So what can we do?"
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