The research led by Circle K and supported by Retail Ireland found that 70pc of retail staff say they have personally encountered abuse, with one in three of those affected saying incidents occur at least once a week.
The findings suggest this is a regular feature of working life for retail employees rather than an occasional problem.
Foul language and verbal abuse are the most common forms of harassment being reported, as almost seven in 10 workers who experienced abuse reported foul language, while 67pc said they had been subjected to verbal abuse.
More serious behaviour remains a problem, with 28pc saying incidents involved violent, aggressive or threatening behaviour.
Discriminatory behaviour was also cited in the research, with more than a third of workers reporting harassment linked to race or ethnicity, while 34pc experienced issues related to gender or sex.
Age-related abuse was also cited as 28pc said they had witnessed colleagues being targeted because of their age.
Views among retail workers are divided as to whether customer behaviour is improving. While some reported improvements over the past year, 37pc said harassment had increased during that period.
The abuse tended to occur at specific times of the day, with a quarter of retail workers saying incidents are more common between 5pm and 8pm, while 22pc pointed to the period between 8pm and 10pm.
In comparison, only 4pc said incidents were more common before 9am.
Busy trading periods were also linked with harassment, with close to one in three workers saying abuse is more likely during busy periods in store, while 31pc identified weekends as a higher-risk time.
Incidents are particularly common during the busy lead-in to Christmas, the survey found.
“Any level of harassment towards retail staff is deeply concerning,” said Arnold Dillon, the director of Retail Ireland. “The impact on staff is significant, contributing to mental health challenges, burnout and increased absenteeism.
“It is essential that the retail sector remains an attractive and safe place to work, and achieving this requires a shared effort. Business, Government and the wider public all have a role to play in supporting retail employees and addressing this issue together,” he added.
The research covered 500 employees across the retail sector and was conducted in December 2025 and this month.
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