A national campaign targeting retail crime across Australian shopping centres has been deemed a success by trade associations.
The campaign began on Melbourne Cup Day (7 November) and concluded on Christmas Eve (25 December). Ads appeared on digital screens at more than 270 shopping centres, comprising more than 30,000 retailers.
Known as the ‘No One Deserves A Serve’ campaign, it was organised by the Shopping Centre Council of Australia (SCCA), the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association (SDA), and the National Retail Association.
According to organisers, the adverts emphasised the importance of ensuring retail worker safety and were viewed more than 200 million times by consumers.
SCCA CEO Angus Nardi said that while retail crime remains a pressing issue, the campaign succeeded.
“The central purpose of the campaign is retail worker safety, and I look forward to continued engagement with the SDA and NRA on this important issue,” he said.
“While most people do the right thing, unfortunately, retail crime continues to be a major challenge, including reoffending, brazen theft, violence and use of weapons.
“We’ll continue to engage with Governments on this pressing public policy issue alongside our industry’s dedicated community safety and security task force.”
Research from the SDA suggested that more than 85 per cent of retail workers have experienced abusive behaviour from consumers.
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