Woolworths Group, Coles Group, ALDI, and Metcash (IGA) the largest supermarket chains, along with Spar and a number of smaller grocery/convenience stores, have outlets across the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales.
However, it would be fair to observe that the market dominance of Woolworths and Coles raises their profiles in regional districts.
So that during first the panic buying shortages of the COVID-19 global pandemic years and, the prolonged cost-of-living pressures which followed on from those years, due to weaker than expected economic growth in major economies, global supply constraints exacerbated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, inflation and rising costs, it was Woolworths and Coles reputations which began to noticeably tarnish.
Due in part to some of the positions they took when managing stock distribution during the earlier stages of the pandemic. However, it was the growing unease from 2020-2021 onwards concerning the cost of basic grocery items which saw community sentiment finally brand them as 'price gougers' and, the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) in September this year announced it had "commenced separate proceedings in the Federal Court against Woolworths Group Limited (Woolworths) (ASX: WOW) and Coles Supermarkets Australia Pty Ltd (Coles) (a subsidiary of Coles Group Limited - ASX: COL) for allegedly breaching the Australian Consumer Law by misleading consumers through discount pricing claims on hundreds of common supermarket products".
None of these things excuse in any way the recent reports of an increase in violence towards supermarket staff, but it would be foolhardy of both Woolworths and Coles not to give thought to the part their corporate behaviours may have played in increasing the level of physical risk their staff potentially face in the workplace.
DailyTelegraph, 20 December 2024:
Woolworths has launched a violence prevention team to combat rising staff abuse while Coles is fitting some workers with personal security devices to protect them at work.
The supermarket giants are grappling with soaring rates of customer aggression and violence towards workers along with frontline workers at retail stores, hospitality businesses and shopping centres.
Woolworths has recorded more than 2100 incidents of violence and abuse since July this year across supermarkets, metro stores and Big W outlets, equating to nearly 500 incidents a month.
The supermarket has established a dedicated counter violence taskforce that has equipped staff members with tools to combat potentially dangerous scenarios. In the ACT, Woolworths has also successfully sought Workplace Protection Orders that prohibit repeat offenders from entering shops and harassing staff.
Woolworths is also using online module that train workers by screening videos of dangerous scenarios and teaching them the correct response to potential customer aggression and conflict......
Coles has started training staff to diffuse situations and regularly reports incidence of violence to police.
“The safety of our team members and customers is paramount, and we have a range of measures and processes in place to support our team,” said the spokesperson.
“Some of these include providing our team members with equipment such as personal security devices like duress devices and specialised training for our team members to help de-escalate situations.”
Scentre Group, which owns Westfield, has been running emergency response training and armed offender drills at stores with NSW Police, Queensland Police Service, the Australian Defence Force, South Australia Police, and the Australian Federal Police.
“We take our duty of care, and safety, extremely seriously,” said a spokesperson.
“Our security approach is created in partnership with law enforcement authorities, including Police and relevant government agencies.”.....
DailyTelegraph, 14 December 2024:
... Almost 100 people have been charged with offences against retail workers as authorities crackdown on unruly behaviour in shopping centres and supermarkets.
The charges occurred from June last year when the Minns government toughened laws protecting shop staff in response to a rise in violence.
Of those charged, 44 were convicted and 13 jailed....
The Sydney Morning Herald, 21 February 2024:
A Coles employee is fighting for life after being allegedly assaulted by a customer.....
