Gunwharf Quays partners Retail Trust to support workers after facing rising levels of abuse
Partnership announced as figures show 1,600 incidents of abuse and violence against retail staff each day nationwide
Gunwharf have moved to support staff faced with abuse and violence as it gets ready for a busy festive period.
With staff revealing that incidents stay with them after their shift has ended and make them feel anxious to return the next day, Gunwharf has partnered with the Retail Trust to offer free training. The training is part of the Let’s Respect Retail campaign and helps staff to build confidence, de-escalate situations and recover from challenging interactions.
The partnership comes after the British Retail Consortium’s 2026 crime report revealed that retail workers face more than 1,600 incidents of violence and abuse every day, with 43,000 physically violent incidents per year.
Yvonne Clay, Centre Director at Gunwharf Quays, said: “Every day, our retail colleagues play an essential role in bringing Gunwharf Quays to life. It’s important that they feel supported, valued, and confident that their wellbeing and safety are a priority.
“Working with the Retail Trust and the Let’s Respect Retail campaign gives our teams access to meaningful, practical support while also helping us build a culture where looking out for one another is part of everyday life. By investing in the people who make our centre what it is, we can create a positive environment for our teams, our brand partners, and our guests alike.”
The training will rolled out to workers this month with training and resources accessible for the remainder of the year.
A security guard who took part in the training earlier this year said: “When you’re dealing with antisocial behaviour or difficult customers, it can stay with you even after your shift has finished and you can feel anxious about coming back into work the next day.
“The training was really useful because it showed that people across different roles are dealing with many of the same challenges, and that there is support available from the Retail Trust. The coping techniques were practical and there was something in there that could work for everyone.
“This is going to become even more important coming up to Christmas, when there are going to be more shoppers, more pressure and more temporary staff who may not have dealt with these situations before. Support like this gives people more confidence to know how to respond and how to look after themselves afterwards.”
Everyone working at a Landsec shopping destination, which own Gunwharf and 12 other sites across the UK, will be given access to new online tools from the Retail Trust on the Landsec Protect app to help them stay safe, respond to difficult situations, and recover afterwards. This includes new advice on how to respond to issues like antisocial behaviour and being filmed without consent, or targeted after a shift.
Let’s Respect Retail materials will also be visible to shoppers at Gunwharf Quays for the remainder of the year to remind them that “every act of kindness counts”.
Chris Brook-Carter, Chief Executive of the Retail Trust, said: “The people who’ve taken part in our training tell us that thoughtless, unkind and aggressive behaviour can stay with them long after their shift has ended and that they increasingly worry about situations like filming by shoppers or being targeted outside of work. We’re working with Landsec to give thousands of staff working at its shopping destinations more support while reminding millions of shoppers to treat everyone with respect.
“We all have a role to play in creating more respectful and kinder shopping environments and our charity’s Let’s Respect Retail campaign will remind us all that even something as simple as a greeting or a smile can make a huge difference to people who are facing daily hostility at work.”
The newly introduced Crime and Policing Act has now made the assault of a retail worker a standalone criminal offense in England and Wales - further underlining the significance of the issue.