Talking Retail Grocery and product news for independent retailers
The bill has its report stage and third reading in Parliament today (5 July).
The letter has been signed by: Aldi, Asda, Association of Convenience Stores, Bira, British Retail Consortium, Central England Co-operative, East of England Co-operative, Iceland & The Food Warehouse, Lidl GB, Majestic Wine, Marks & Spencer, McColl’s Retail Group, Mid Counties Co-operative, Nisa, One O One Convenience Stores, Post Office, Sainsbury’s, Scottish Midland Co-operative Society, Southern England Co-operative, Spar UK, Tesco, The Co-op Group, Waitrose, WHSmith, and WM Morrison.
The letter comes just after a Home Affairs Select Committee report last week, which concluded that a new criminal offence is needed to protect retail workers from a “shocking upsurge in violence and abuse.”
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “Retailer workers are facing violence and abuse very day just for doing their jobs – keeping customers safe during the pandemic, checking ID, and confronting shoplifters. Behind each of these statistics is a person, a family, colleagues and communities that have to cope with this trauma. No-one should go to work fearing for their safety, yet many retail workers have come to see it as part of the job – this can’t go on.
“The time for action is now. We need to see the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill deliver better protection for our colleagues.”
