Stop shop abuse: Campaign to protect sales staff as retail violence explodes 700pc since Covid

Woolworths has released shocking footage of staff being attacked with knives and punched as retail giants unite to demand new laws protecting workers. WATCH THE HORRIFYING VIDEO.

Australia’s biggest supermarket chain has released a harrowing video reel showing its workers being attacked with knives, punched in the face and set upon in the aisles, in a bid to blow the whistle on a soaring trend of violence against frontline workers in our shops.

The extraordinary step by Woolworths comes as the chief executives of Australia’s major retailers unite in a call for nationwide laws to stamp out soaring attacks, assaults and abuse of frontline shopworkers – which have increased by 700 per cent since COVID in some chains.

The CEOs of 22 major retailers, including Woolworths, Coles, Kmart, BWS and Myer, have called for tougher laws to protect shop workers to be rolled out universally across every state and territory.

Woolworths chief executive Amanda Bardwell said the rise in aggression towards retail workers was “unacceptable” and called for a national response from police and governments.

“The reports and footage that I see each day are often shocking,” Ms Bardwell said.

“This isn’t a challenge we can solve alone, and our engagement with police and state governments is critical.

“We are strongly advocating for new Workplace Protection Order laws to protect retail workers.”

A shoppers threatens a staff member with a large knife in one of the many shocking sequences from the Woolworths video. Picture: Supplied

A security guard faces a customer tries to contain a knife-wielding customer. Picture: Supplied

The Woolworths video reel for the first time begins to show Australians the terrifying reality that frontline shop workers face.

In one film, a shopper calmly pulls a knife on a supermarket worker who tries to stop them walking out with a shopping trolley piled high with stolen goods.

Australian Retailers Association chief executive Chris Rodwell said there were 800,000 retail crime incidents last year, with more than half of shop workers saying they experienced physical abuse at least monthly.

“We have written to the Premier of Victoria because it is undoubtedly the national hotspot for retail violence,” Mr Rodwell said after the state recorded a 27.6 per cent jump in retail crime.

“What is needed now is for the federal Attorney-General to bring the state premiers and police ministers together to create a national standard.”

Yet another customer brandishing a knife at Woolworths staff members. Picture: Supplied

It could not come soon enough for Victorian Woolworths staffer Fahim, who was chased through the store by a heavily tattooed customer he had tried to help.

“He was very aggressive and shouting he wanted to kill me,” the badly shaken manager said.

“I had to go home to my wife and two young children, both under the age of five, and open up to them that it could have been a worse situation.

“We had to think about what could happen if I didn’t return home.”

The major retailers are calling for the introduction of Workplace Protection Orders (WPOs) to prevent known offenders from re-entering a store.

Auror crime reporting software shows 10 per cent of the offenders were responsible for more than half the crimes.

WPOs have been introduced in the ACT, where magistrates have issued them against 13 offenders responsible for 300 violent incidents in Woolworths stores. Reoffending has dropped by 99.6 per cent.

They also want a dedicated police taskforce for retail crime in each state and a digital platform to report non-urgent offences.

Helen Clarke works at Coles Batemans Bay. Picture: David Rogers

Today, News Corp, through our Stop Shop Abuse campaign, supports the retailers in these calls.

Currently events reported to police trail far behind unofficial reports to online platform Auror. Official figures for last year show incidents involving weapons were up 13 per cent compared to Auror data showing a 66 per cent jump.

“Retail workers in Victoria are facing escalating levels of abuse, violence and intimidation, compounded by the increasing presence of coordinated, repeat offenders and organised retail crime groups,” the letter says.

Every state has different laws to try to address the problem.

South Australia is considered the gold standard, with tough laws and dedicated police resources under Operation Measure targeting retail crime and repeat offenders.

It is joining Western Australia in looking to bring WPOs into law later this year.

The ACT has WPOs, Queensland has Jack’s Law which gives police broader search powers, the Northern Territory has introduced similar search powers and tougher bail conditions, and NSW, Western Australia and Tasmania have increased penalties for assaulting retail workers.

Mikaela McKenzie, chief operating officer at Master Grocers Australia, said there was a need for tougher national standards to protect workers.

“No one should feel unsafe at work,” she said. “The increasing threats to retail staff show that lawlessness is growing, and it’s time for state and federal governments to provide real, practical support for both our members and law enforcement.”

Staff are copping workplace abuse every day. Picture: Supplied

Coles shopworker Helen Clarke, from Batemans Bay in NSW, said she hated to see customers “going crook” on “kids who have just come in to do a shift”.

“I had one lady trying to get a trolley and I went to help. She let fly, called me every name under the sun and we had to call security.

“I only offered her a disc for her trolley,” she said.

Woolworths store manager Mathew is on the frontline of the retail assaults on the Gold Coast, and said violent and abusive assaults had increased since Covid.

“This well-built gentleman came in at 11am clearly under the influence of either drink or drugs and was screaming out and knocking things off the shelves and frightening the team,” Mathew said.

When the security guards arrived it became physical and Mathew had to help control the man. “We held him down for 18 minutes until the police arrived,” he said.

“This man looked me straight in the eye and said: ‘I am going to kill you. I am coming back here to kill you’.”

Originally published as Stop shop abuse: Campaign to protect sales staff as retail violence explodes 700pc since Covid