Shoppers are being urged to show patience and respect toward retail workers in a new campaign launched by The Shopping Centre Council of Australia (SCCA) for the upcoming holiday season.

The ‘Be Kind in Retail ‘campaign is live across over 350 shopping centres and 1000 retail outlets nationwide, and will run through to Christmas Eve, aiming to foster kindness, patience, and respect in retail settings.

The initiative targets shoppers, employees, security guards, cleaners, and centre staff, with the slogan ‘Kindness Never Goes Out of Style’.

The SCCA is running the campaign in partnership with the National Retail Association, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, the Australian Security Industry Association Limited, the Building Services Contractors Association of Australia, and the Australian Association of Convenience Stores.

The campaign follows the SCCA’s recent partnership with Crime Stoppers Australia, which ran from September 8 to October 10, and promoted crime reporting in shopping centres through the use of more than 2000 digital screens.

According to the SCCA, early feedback from the Crime Stoppers partnership has been positive, with the second stage of that collaboration to begin on January 1.

Together, the Be Kind in Retail and Crime Stoppers campaigns comprise a combined $12 million national investment, including $7 million in advertising for Be Kind in Retail and over $5 million already funded to the SCCA’s collaboration with Crime Stoppers Australia.

The campaign will feature in-centre signage, digital displays, and social media outreach, in collaboration with retailers and centre management teams.

The campaign launch comes as data shows rising rates of theft and aggression toward retail workers.

In Victoria, theft offences hit a 21-year high last year, with over 225,000 incidents, up 29 per cent year-on-year.

Nationally, the Australian Bureau of Statistics recorded a 6 per cent increase in theft victims, amounting to 595,660 incidents, the highest since 2003.

Retailer reports of verbal abuse and physical aggression are also growing, with Woolworths recently revealing an increase in customer hostility toward its staff, prompting new safety protocols and de-escalation training.

Smaller retailers, often lacking comparable resources, have been particularly affected, with owners frequently stepping in to handle confrontations.

The initiative involves the SCCA, police, and government agencies collaborating to enhance community safety and reduce crime in and around shopping precincts.

The council also plans to assess the campaign’s effectiveness through feedback from retailers, staff, and customers to improve future strategies.

• This story was originally published on Shopping Centre News.