Landsec Expands Retail Trust Support for Retail Staff
Landsec is extending its work with the Retail Trust after pilots at four shopping destinations, rolling out abuse-response training, digital tools and face-to-face support across 13 further UK locations.
Landsec has expanded its partnership with retail industry charity the Retail Trust to provide further support for people working across its UK shopping destinations who experience abuse at work.
Through the Retail Trust’sLet’s Respect Retail campaign, Landsec piloted free resilience and de-escalation training at four major shopping destinations during 2025 and 2026. The practical sessions provided hundreds of people with techniques to manage challenging interactions and recover after difficult incidents on the shop floor.
In September 2026, the Retail Trust support is being extended across a further 13 Landsec destinations around the UK. Retail staff, cleaners, security personnel and guest services teams, from Glasgow to Portsmouth, will be covered by the expanded programme.
Everyone working at a Landsec shopping destination will also gain access through the Landsec Protect app to Retail Trust online tools and support. These are intended to help staff stay safe, respond to difficult situations and recover afterwards, including advice on dealing with antisocial behaviour, being filmed without consent and being targeted after a shift.
Further face-to-face support will range from additional staff training to meetings with retail managers focused on protecting their teams.
Retail Crime Remains a Focus
The rollout comes against a continuing high level of violence and abuse affecting retail workers. The British Retail Consortium’s 2026 Crime Report records more than 1,600 incidents of violence and abuse against retail workers each day, including around 43,000 incidents involving physical violence over the year.
The Crime and Policing Act 2026 has also created a standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker at work in England and Wales.
Throughout the remainder of 2026, the Retail Trust’s Let’s Respect Retail materials will be displayed across Landsec’s shopping centres. More than 300 businesses backed the campaign in 2025 by displaying messages in stores and shop windows asking customers to treat staff with kindness. The Retail Trust and Landsec will again call on shoppers to behave respectfully in the run-up to Christmas.
Training Participants on Frontline Challenges
“When you’re dealing with antisocial behaviour or difficult customers, it can stay with you even after your shift has finished and you can feel anxious about coming back into work the next day.’’
Security guard Training participant
“The training was really useful because it showed that people across different roles are dealing with many of the same challenges, and that there is support available from the Retail Trust. The coping techniques were practical and there was something in there that could work for everyone.”
Security guard Training participant
“This is going to become even more important coming up to Christmas, when there are going to be more shoppers, more pressure and more temporary staff who may not have dealt with these situations before. Support like this gives people more confidence to know how to respond and how to look after themselves afterwards.”
Security guard Training participant
“Everyone has the right to feel safe and respected at work. Our industry depends on the millions of people working in our place and abuse should never be accepted as simply part of the job.
“At Landsec and across our UK-wide destinations, we believe it’s vital we do everything we can to ensure difficult situations don’t become the norm or deter people from joining and staying in our industry. That’s why we’re extending our partnership with the Retail Trust to increase access to training and support for people working in the shops, restaurants and keeping our places clean and secure. And we’re asking everyone who visits our destinations to play their part in ensuring retail workers feel respected and valued. If the people at the heart of our places feel supported, it should lead to better experiences and more reasons for our guests to smile.”
Bruce Findlay Managing Director of Retail, Landsec
“The people who’ve taken part in our training tell us that thoughtless, unkind and aggressive behaviour can stay with them long after their shift has ended and that they increasingly worry about situations like filming by shoppers or being targeted outside of work. We’re working with Landsec to give thousands of staff working at its shopping destinations more support while reminding millions of shoppers to treat everyone with respect. “We all have a role to play in creating more respectful and kinder shopping environments and our charity’s Let’s Respect Retail campaign will remind us all that even something as simple as a greeting or a smile can make a huge difference to people who are facing daily hostility at work.”
Chris Brook-Carter Chief Executive, Retail Trust
The campaign materials will remain visible across Landsec’s shopping centres for the rest of 2026, including through the Christmas trading period.
Terry Clark is the Publisher and Content Director of 365 Retail, with more than a decade of experience covering retail design, technology innovations, store openings and the wider retail industry. He also works closely with leading retailers, suppliers, agencies, events and industry awards across the UK.
