Christmas retail rage has customers spitting mad
Retail rage is filling up the aisles of supermarkets and stores in the lead up to Christmas, turning shop floors into battlegrounds.
Shop assistant Jack Burrows was spat on by an angry customer, furious that he couldn’t be served outside of trading hours.
“The customer was very irate and screaming at me, but I didn't expect what he was going to do next.”
The shocking outburst is just one of many cases of customers being pushed over the edge during stressful holiday shopping.
Two men were filmed arguing over a Christmas ham in a Queensland Woolworths.
On amateur mobile phone footage, the shoppers swear at each other as a woman tries to separate them.
“This c***'s a f*****g dog mate, he's fooling me!” one man yelled.
In Perth, staff scuffled with a customer at Coles who entered after hours.
And in Adelaide, a customer’s violent outburst at Telstra was deemed a very poor call.
Bernie Smith from the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association said the behaviour worsens as the holidays approach.
“Christmas is meant to be a time of peace and joy, yet for so many shop assistants, it's not," he told 7 News.
In a Harvey Norman store, one woman screamed: “I’m not paying for this!” while she repeatedly stabbing a couch with a long knife.
At an Apple Store in France, an unsatisfied customer made it his mission to shatter the screen of every iPhone on display.
The top triggers for retail rage include long queues, slow service, no service, large prams and wonky trolleys.
But it's not only customers that are losing their cool.
One man recorded an incident in a Melbourne 7-Eleven, where he was confronted with red-hot rage when buying a Slurpee.
The staff member accused the man of overfilling the cup and quickly ordered him out.
“Get out. I told you not fill it too much,” he yelled.
The customer pulled out his phone to record the scene and threatened to call police.
Mr Smith said it pays to be extra patient at Christmas.
“Yes, the shops will be busier, perhaps the lines might be a bit longer, but please take your time - don't get frustrated with the retail worker.”
