Wigan retail bosses say abuse of shop staff will not be tolerated

The run-up to Christmas is always one of the busiest times in retail and this year Covid-19 requirements for social distancing could mean even longer queues than usual.

The turmoil on the high street, which has seen big names recently go into administration or liquidation, means thousands of employees nationally are also going into work and facing customers when their futures are very unclear.

Shopping centre bosses say there have already been incidents of unacceptable behaviour towards those working in stores and have promised to crack down on abuse.

Mr Sanson said: “There has been a lot of press about retail staff being spat at or assaulted.

“These people are trying to earn a living and provide a service, so shoppers need to have a bit of patience and treat them with dignity while understanding their situation.

“There are some people around who take advantage of retail staff. It’s tough enough at a busy time of year but this year it’s even tougher for people working in stores such as Debenhams who don’t know if they will have a job come January.

“We’ve had problems with things like aggressive shoplifting but this is an issue that is being reported nationally.

“Retail staff have been abused because they have not got something in a certain size or a parcel hasn’t come from click and collect when it was ordered the previous day. There is a lot of aggression towards staff and it is not acceptable.”

Mr Tucker said: “Our retailers have risen to the challenge over the last year, investing their time and money into making their shops safe.

“We are anticipating this month will be particularly busy for obvious reasons and we need our customers to be patient when they’re shopping as there will be queuing systems in place.

“We’re appealing to everyone’s better nature in the run-up to Christmas, to be polite and respect the Covid- 19 rules.

“Our retailers and staff are working hard to be compliant and we’re asking for everyone’s support to achieve this.

"Needless to say, those who abuse the rules or behave badly will not be tolerated.”

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