Increased violence against sales staff in Australia in the run-up to Christmas

An elderly Kmart employee, Christine Smith, was assaulted by a customer in 2019, causing her two black eyes and requiring intensive rehabilitation. Since then, the New South Wales government introduced a specific law for violence against sales workers in 2023. Despite this, Smith reports that aggressive customer behavior persists. In November, Bunnings published images showing staff being threatened with knives. In 2023, violence in the retail sector increased by 50%.