Shop workers blame cost of living stress for rising abuse

Violence towards customer-facing staff on increase again, says report, as new penalties come into force

Abuse and violence towards shop workers and service staff is on the rise again, research shows, with a quarter of those reporting hostility blaming the cost of living crisis putting increased stress on customers.

Figures from the trade body the Institute of Customer Service (ICS) revealed 44% of frontline retail staff have experienced hostility from customers in the past six months - up by a quarter from the figure of 35% in February.