Violence and abuse have become a perceived part of the job for retail colleagues. This is in addition to the demands on them including shift work, customer-facing roles and high-pressure trading periods.
While the sector has rightly focused on tackling abuse and violence on the shop floor, safety concerns outside the store – particularly during early morning or late-night travel – are increasingly shaping how retail workers feel about their jobs. Crucially, these concerns are now influencing whether people choose to join, stay in or leave the sector altogether.
Recent initiatives by major retailers, including Tesco’s rollout of the Peoplesafe personal safety app to staff, highlight a growing recognition that employee safety doesn’t stop when the shift ends.
The reality facing retail workers
Data paints a stark picture of the pressures facing frontline retail staff. Research shows that over three-quarters of retail workers have experienced intimidating or violent behaviour from the public, with nearly a quarter reporting physical assault. Unsurprisingly, a significant proportion (40 per cent) say these experiences have made them consider leaving their role or the industry entirely.
But beyond the store environment, another layer of risk is often overlooked. Recent landmark workplace safety studies indicate that around six in ten workers feel unsafe when travelling to or from work, particularly when commuting at night or through isolated areas. More than half say they have experienced an incident during their commute that made them feel unsafe.
For retail workers, this risk is amplified by the nature of the job. Early starts, late finishes, locking up alone and reliance on public transport are common. For many, feeling unsafe is not an occasional worry, it’s a regular part of their working routine.
When safety becomes part of the job’s identity, its impact ripples outward. Colleagues distracted by fear for their wellbeing are less engaged at work, take more time off, and are more likely to prioritise mental health and safety in their decisions about whether to stay or leave.
Safety concerns are a recruitment and retention issue
Retailers are already operating in a tight labour market. Competition for staff is fierce, turnover remains high, and the cost of replacing experienced employees continues to rise. At a time when the retail sector is battling recruitment headwinds, perceived safety risks are becoming a decisive factor in employment decisions.
Research shows that nearly four in ten retail workers have considered leaving the sector due to safety concerns, and more than half of retail employees are now categorised as being at risk of quitting. When staff don’t feel safe, engagement drops, absence rises and loyalty erodes.
This has a direct impact on recruitment. Potential employees – particularly younger workers – are increasingly selective about roles that align with their expectations around wellbeing and employer responsibility. A role that involves travelling alone late at night, without visible employer support, can be a deal-breaker.
In short, safety has become part of the employee value proposition. Retailers who fail to address it risk being left behind.
Learning from Tesco: extending safety beyond the store
Against this backdrop, Tesco’s recent decision to roll out the Peoplesafe personal safety app to colleagues represents an important shift in how retailers think about workforce protection.
The initiative recognises a simple but powerful truth: employees don’t stop being employees when they walk out of the store. Their journey home – often late at night, sometimes alone – is still part of the working experience. Rachel Bennet, Shrink and Security director at Tesco, said:
“The safety of our colleagues and their wellbeing is our top priority. Whether they are working in the office, stores or distribution centres, we know colleagues can feel vulnerable in situations where they are travelling alone or during unsociable hours.”
By providing access to a personal safety service, Tesco is offering staff reassurance that support is available should they feel unsafe or encounter an incident while travelling to or from work. It’s a clear signal that the business understands the real-world risks its people face and is willing to act on them.
Importantly, this isn’t just a security measure. It’s a wellbeing intervention.
Turning safety into a workplace benefit
Peoplesafe’s personal safety solutions are designed to support colleagues in moments of vulnerability, whether that’s while opening and closing stores, travelling after hours or handling cash and banking. Features such as monitored journeys, discreet SOS alerts and access to trained responders give users confidence that help is available when they need it most.
For employers, offering a service like Peoplesafe transforms safety from a reactive concern into a proactive benefit. It enables retailers to:
- Demonstrate genuine care for colleague wellbeing
- Reduce anxiety linked to travel and single person operations
- Prove compliance with incoming legislation
- Differentiate themselves in a competitive recruitment market
Crucially, it also helps address the mental health impact of feeling unsafe. Anxiety about personal safety doesn’t switch off when a shift starts; it follows employees into the workplace with 1 in 5 workers who felt unsafe reporting a drop in productivity.
A cultural shift in retail employment
Retailers have invested heavily in measures such as body-worn cameras, security guards and reporting tools to address in-store incidents. These steps are vital, but they don’t solve the full problem.
Employees want to know that their employer is thinking about their whole experience, not just what happens between clocking in and clocking out. Providing a personal safety service acknowledges that the risks staff face on the commute are real and that employers have a role to play in reducing them.
Supportive safety solutions should not replace broader efforts such as public safety campaigns, partnerships with local authorities, or advocacy for harsher penalties against assault on frontline staff. But they complement them by addressing the immediate safety needs of workers where traditional measures fall short.
This cultural shift matters. Retailers that take a holistic approach to safety are more likely to retain experienced staff, attract candidates who value wellbeing, and build a reputation as a responsible employer.
The business case is clear
High turnover is expensive. Recruiting, onboarding and training new retail staff carries significant costs, not to mention the loss of experience and consistency on the shop floor. When colleagues leave because they feel unsafe, that cost is avoidable.
By contrast, investing in personal safety support can help stabilise workforces, improve engagement and reduce the hidden costs associated with churn and absence. It also supports broader ESG and wellbeing commitments; all areas that are increasingly scrutinised by investors, regulators and consumers alike.
Safety as a strategic advantage
Tesco’s adoption of Peoplesafe reflects a wider truth facing the retail sector: colleague safety is no longer just an operational issue – it’s a strategic one.
Retailers that extend their duty of care beyond the store send a powerful message to their workforce. They show that safety is not just about managing incidents, but about enabling people to feel confident, valued and supported in their roles.
At a time when recruitment and retention pressures show no sign of easing, addressing safety concerns outside the workplace could be one of the most effective, and human, steps retailers can take.
Because for retail workers, knowing they can get to work safely and return home safely isn’t a perk. It’s a foundation for staying in the job at all.
To gain more insight into what Peoplesafe can do for you, click here.
Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette‘s free daily email newsletter
