Service and Creative Skills Australia (SaCSA) has today released a new report highlighting the increasing prevalence of customer aggression in retail and its significant impact on workers, businesses and the broader sector.
Titled Customer Aggression in Retail – Understanding the Nature, Drivers and Impacts on Australia’s Retail Workforce, SaCSA’s report was developed in close collaboration with industry, unions, and other stakeholders. Drawing on surveys, consultation and workshops, it provides a comprehensive view of the issue and identifies how the sector can prevent, support, manage, and respond to customer aggression more effectively.
The findings confirm that customer aggression is no longer an isolated issue, but a widespread and persistent challenge across the sector. Verbal aggression was reported by every retail business surveyed, with more than 90 per cent also experiencing harassment. Customer aggression is also extending beyond in-store interactions, with incidents reported via phone, social media and email.
The report highlights the far-reaching impacts on the workforce, with 74 per cent of employers reporting that customer aggression is contributing to staff attraction challenges and 61 per cent saying it also affects workforce attraction.
SaCSA Chief Executive Officer Natalie Turmine said the report reinforces the need for a coordinated, sector-wide response.
“At its core, this work starts from a simple truth: no retail worker should have to accept abuse as part of a normal day at work,” Natalie said.
“This report provides a clear and credible understanding of customer aggression in retail and sets the foundation for the next phase of work for industry, government, unions, and SaCSA, strengthening how the workforce is equipped to prevent, de-escalate and respond to these behaviours.”
The report identifies key drivers of customer aggression, including frustration with store processes, broader economic and social pressures, and the perceived low status of retail staff. It also highlights that the most effective responses combine prevention, training, reporting, leadership support and workplace controls.
Action is already underway across the sector, with many businesses implementing mitigation measures such as training, reporting processes and safety tools. Industry, unions and partners are also working together through initiatives such as No One Deserves a Serve, Be Kind in Retail and the Retail Employee Safety Council.
SaCSA is now progressing the next stage of this work, including reviewing existing retail qualifications and skill sets to strengthen capability across all levels of the retail workforce, from frontline staff through to supervisors, managers and business owners.
This work will support a more consistent and practical approach to preventing customer aggression, improving worker safety and wellbeing, and strengthening workforce sustainability across the retail sector.