Cork retail worker tells of aggression as 70% report facing abuse on the job

The Kindness Week initiative is encouraging shoppers to be kind to hard-working retail staff

Managing Director of Circle K Ireland, Ciara Foxton, Chief People Officer of The Maxol Group, Catherine Noctor, Operations Director at MrPRICE Branded Bargains, Edel McSorely, Circle K colleagues, Anna Nowicka and Jana Duquelsky Menendez, Maxol colleague, Darpan Derpan, and MrPRICE Branded Bargains colleagues, Mary Tracey, and Mukendi Fwaba, launching Kindness Week 2026. (Image: Naoise Culhane Photography)

A Cork retail worker has outlined some of the poor treatment his staff have faced as new research reveals close to three-quarters of all employees in the sector have had to deal with abusive behaviour while on shift. Staff say most of these incidents come in the form of foul language or verbal abuse, but more than a quarter of all staff say they have faced violent, aggressive or threatening behaviour.

The figures were released as part of Kindness Week 2026, a joint campaign from Circle K, Maxol and Mr Price with support from Retail Ireland, which encourages customers to be kind to retail staff and thank those who do their best to be respectful. The research shows that 70% of staff have faced abuse on the job, with a significant number of workers being abused on the basis of their ethnicity (36%), gender or sex (34%) and age (28%).

Here in Cork, staff have faced their fair share of nasty behaviour, and CorkBeo spoke with Sean Walsh, a Maxol store manager in Clonakilty, about some of the incidents he’s witnessed there.

Sean emphasised that the vast majority of customers are respectful but that abusive behaviour can certainly take a toll on staff, particularly younger employees who may be in their first job.

He told CorkBeo: “Most customers are kind and easy to serve, but on rare occasions, you do get people acting inappropriately towards staff. We had one incident where a customer presented a counterfeit note, and when we explained that to him, he became very upset.

“The customer started to jump around, curse at the staff, and he began throwing things off the counter before exiting the shop. Another time, an employee at the deli had an angry customer smash a can of fizzy drink on the floor before walking out of the store.”

Speaking further on the counterfeit notes – an issue that periodically plagues retailers here in Cork city – Sean said it crops up only once every few months and that customers often just accept they were given a faulty note and opt to pay another way.

Elsewhere in Cork, fake banknotes have become a more prevalent issue in recent years, and while some undoubtedly end up in people’s wallets by sheer bad luck, they are often used as part of a scheme that helps scammers get their hands on real cash. Scammers will use the notes to buy a single cheap item, and if it’s not caught before going into the till, the shop owner ends up exchanging the fake note for real cash, leaving them out of pocket.

He continued: “As a store manager, I have a duty of care to my staff, and ultimately my goal here is to remind the public to be aware of the issues facing retail staff and to be kind to them, particularly younger staff who may be in their first experience with employment.

“I ask my staff to leave their luggage at the door and to treat everybody with the same kindness, fairness and respect, but not all customers follow that same practice.”

Sean said that these incidents are very rare in his store and that the overwhelming majority of customers are lovely to deal with. During his three years working in Clonankilly, Gardaí were called out to the store only once to disperse a group of car enthusiasts who had gathered in the forecourt.

The research conducted by the retail group shows that half of retail workers believe customers do understand the effect abusive behaviour can have on staff, while a similar proportion (49%) feel customers do not fully appreciate the consequences of their actions.

While unacceptable customer behaviour continues to present a serious challenge for Ireland’s retail sector, which employs more than 370,000 people nationwide, there is strong confidence among workers that they would not face such incidents alone, with 86% believing they would be supported by their employer if they experienced abusive or inappropriate behaviour from a member of the public.

The Kindness Week initiative aims to reinforce a culture where kindness is the norm, abusive behaviour is challenged, and retail workers feel supported and valued in their roles.

Speaking about the Kindness Week initiative, Maxol CEO Brian Donaldson said: “At Maxol, we are proud to stand alongside our fellow retailers in supporting Kindness Week and promoting a culture of respect across the sector. Our teams work hard every day to serve communities throughout Ireland, and they deserve to feel safe, valued and respected in their workplace.

“While the vast majority of our customers continue to engage with kindness and courtesy, this campaign serves as an important reminder that respect should always be the standard. We want to thank our teams for their dedication and professionalism, and our loyal customers for the patience and kindness they show. Kindness costs nothing, but it makes a lasting difference.”