A sense of sadness and concern has spread throughout the industry, as recent devastating events have left many retailers faced with fear, worry, and the unknown.
Incidents such as severe vandalism and an arson attack in a Belfast store highlight the extreme risk retailers face, explains James Lowman, chief executive of the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS).
He told Convenience Store that retailers are experiencing a wave of looting, with some stores experiencing significant thefts. “We’ve had stores where there’s been quite a lot of theft in quite a short period of time… and they’ve had to shut down sections.”
Lowman stressed the psychological toll violent disorders have on retailers: “We’ve seen retailers reporting back just how frightening and extreme some of the sorts of thuggery and violence has been. And I think that’s been very chastening for a lot of retailers in the context of having served those communities for a long time in many cases.”
Despite these challenges, Lowman emphasised the industry’s resilience, which remains focused on ensuring employee safety. In some cases, retailers are closing and losing out on trade, only to later find out that there weren’t any issues due to misinformation, “so it’s very hard to know what do,” said Lowman.
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He said that retailers should prioritise the safety of employees by minimising their exposure to potential danger. “It’s about trying to take people out of that situation by closing the store. These aren’t easy decisions because you’ve got limited information, but try to make those decisions in quite a decisive way.”
It’s particularly important to get colleagues away before any violence unfolds, so even on their journey home, they’re not going to be exposed, James recommended. He also suggested not bringing in employees if they’re not needed for a shift.
“So, it takes a lot of effort from an operational point of view to keep the stores open when they’re needed by the community. Since they are a business, they want to trade, but they also have to make decisions about closing in order to ensure the safety of their employees.”
As retailers brace for further riots with unconfirmed rumours circulating online, Lowman advised: “We are encouraging people to get local intelligence… and if they’re not sure what’s intelligence and what’s misinformation, to talk to their local police force.”
He is “particularly concerned” for retailers of ethnic minorities because “that is one of the motivations of some people who are taking part in this”.
The recent events have made Lowman conscious of the increased exposure when stores are open, especially in affected areas, when going to and from the store and carrying out daily activities. “People who have these racist views might be more likely to give abuse or even attack someone in these environments. So, if you are from an ethnic minority I think you are thinking more about how you might respond.
“Even some retailers who are nowhere near where there have been flashpoints, I think you have to just think a bit more about safety.”
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