Share your smile of respect

Every day, three million people power retail - from shop floors to delivery vans, stockrooms to call centres. They keep Britain moving, serving 30 million of us every single day. 

But something has changed. 

Over the past three years, we’ve seen an escalating crisis: 

• 77% of shop workers have been verbally abused. 
• 23% have been physically assaulted. 
• Nearly half face abuse every week. 

Behind those numbers are real people - colleagues, parents, neighbours - who’ve been shouted at, spat at, pushed and filmed without consent to be mocked online. 

This isn’t about customer service; it’s about human decency. We all have a responsibility to change that. 

Let’s Respect Retail is a national movement to bring humanity back to the high street. It starts with something small, but powerful. 

That’s why we’re asking you to send us your smile. It could be a selfie or a group shot; we’ll use your photos to show retail the smile it deserves through the busiest season of the year.

This November, we’re turning the loudest shopping day of the year into a moment of quiet respect. 

On Black Friday, screens across the UK, from Piccadilly Circus to shopping centres nationwide, will light up with thousands of smiles of respect. 

Stand with the three million people who keep Britain’s shops moving. Your smile could appear on screens around the country, a simple, powerful act of support. 

Because respect is contagious. 

It starts small. It starts now. 

A smile costs nothing, but it changes everything. 

When you smile, your brain releases feel-good chemicals such as dopamine and serotonin, easing stress and lifting your mood. And because smiles are contagious, seeing one makes someone else more likely to smile too. 

It’s not just kindness, it’s connection. 

A visible act of respect that reminds us to see one another. One smile can spark a thousand more. 

Every act of respect matters. Whether you’re in a supermarket queue, behind a counter, or shopping online, you can help change the story. 

1. Pause before you react. 

Remember there’s a person behind the uniform. 

2. Acknowledge the human. 

Make eye contact. Say thank you. Smile. These small acts restore dignity. 

3. Be an ally for respect. 

If you see someone being treated unfairly, show kindness or step in safely. 

4. Share your support. 

Join the movement by uploading your smile of respect below. 

Your smile could appear on screens across the country, a national show of kindness and solidarity. 

Together, we can make shopping human again - one interaction, one gesture, one smile at a time. 

Donate now

By sharing your image you are agreeing to the Retail Trust using your image in all media and formats. 

The copyright and all other rights in respect of your image/video are assigned to the Retail Trust. The image/video may be used in all media formats which may include public screenings and broadcast screenings. the Retail Trust may without further consent use your likeness and photographs of you relation to the Let’s Respect Retail Campaign in all media and formats. 

You may withdraw consent at any time.  

Find our privacy notice here.