Partnership with Bluewater comes as British Retail Consortium research reveals retail workers face over 1,600 incidents of abuse and violence every day
Free training helps retail staff build resilience, de-escalate difficult situations and recover from challenging interactions
The announcement comes as Landsec, owner and operator of Bluewater, has expanded its partnership with the Retail Trust following a successful pilot in 2025.
Through the Retail Trust’s Let’s Respect Retail campaign, Landsec provided free resilience and de-escalation training at four of its major shopping destinations, giving retail workers the skills and confidence to manage challenging interactions and recover quickly after difficult moments on the shop floor.
This month, the support will be rolled out to a further 13 Landsec destinations across the UK*, including Bluewater, ensuring retail staff, cleaners, security, and guest services teams from Glasgow to Kent can access the support they need. Staff at the four pilot locations will also continue to receive training and resources.
Everyone working at a Landsec shopping destination will be given access to new online tools from the Retail Trust on the Landsec Protect app to help them stay safe, respond to difficult situations, and recover afterwards. This includes new advice on how to respond to issues like antisocial behaviour and being filmed without consent, or targeted after a shift.
The partnership is being expanded as the British Retail Consortium’s 2026 Crime Report reveals that retail workers face more than 1,600 incidents of violence and abuse every day, with 43,000 physically violent incidents per year. The newly introduced Crime and Policing Act has now made the assault of a retail worker a standalone criminal offense in England and Wales - further underlining the significance of the issue.
Throughout the remainder of 2026, Let’s Respect Retail materials will be visible to guests at Bluewater as well as Landsec’s other shopping centres, reminding millions of visitors that every act of kindness counts.
A security guard who took part in the training earlier this year said: “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.
“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.
“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.”
James Waugh, Centre Director at Bluewater, said: “Every day, our retail colleagues play an essential role in bringing Bluewater to life. It’s important that they feel supported, valued, and confident that their wellbeing and safety are a priority.
“Working with the Retail Trust and the Let’s Respect Retail campaign gives our teams access to meaningful, practical support while also helping us build a culture where looking out for one another is part of everyday life. By investing in the people who make our centre what it is, we can create a positive environment for our teams, our brand partners, and our guests alike.”
Chris Brook-Carter, Chief Executive of the Retail Trust, said: “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.”
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