Shoppers are demanding better protection for retail staff as retailers gear up towards some of the busiest in-store shopping days of the Christmas trading season, the latest data from body-cam company, HALOS, shows.

After key Peak Trading promotion events, such as Black Friday, boosted store traffic by +54.9% week-on-week according to Sensormatic Solutions, festive footfall continues to build in the run up to Christmas.

And, as stores become busier, more shoppers are calling for better protection for staff; original research of over 2,000 consumers by HALOS showed 68% want retail workers equipped with body cams to protect them from abuse and crime.

“Retail workers are facing rising levels of abuse and aggression, and the busy festive sales period only increases the pressure on frontline staff,” commented HALOS’ Matt Dawes.

“The public recognises that body-worn cameras play an important role in deterring unacceptable behaviour and in giving staff greater confidence that incidents will be dealt with,” Dawes added.

Separate data from the charity Retail Trust, which polled 1,000 frontline retail workers, showed that over three quarters (77%) have experienced intimidating behaviour in the last year.

Concerningly, 43% said they either abused or attacked every week, rising +10% compared to last year (33%).

The Retail Trust is asking people to show respect and kindness to workers in the run-up to Christmas in its Let’s Respect Retail campaign, which calls on shoppers to restore humanity to the High Street, starting with simple gestures of respect like saying “hello” or “thank you” or offering a smile.

“Even the simplest acts of recognition can make a huge difference for people who are facing daily hostility, and it will make shopping a better experience for everyone,” said Chris Brook-Carter, CEO of the Retail Trust.