Milton Keynes shoppers are being urged to remember the people behind their shopping experience this Christmas - in the Retail Trust's national Let’s Respect Retail campaign.

Midsummer Place is joining the campaign which aims to encourage greater kindness and respect towards people working in retail, particularly as stores enter one of their busiest periods of the year.

The campaign is running from November 9 until 30, and its message couldn’t be simpler: ‘say hello’.

Research highlighted by the campaign shows that 93% of retail colleagues say small positive actions from customers can make a big impact, with something as simple as a friendly greeting helping to turn a transaction into a positive human interaction.

Milton Keynes shoppers are being urged to remember the people behind their shopping experience this Christmas - in the Retail Trust's national Let’s Respect Retail campaign.

placeholder image — Milton Keynes shoppers are being urged to remember the people behind their shopping experience this Christmas - in the Retail Trust's national Let’s Respect Retail campaign.

Throughout November, Midsummer Place will be helping to spread the message across the centre, encouraging visitors to take a moment to recognise the people serving them in stores, restaurants and cafés.

Campaign materials will also encourage shoppers to think about how even the smallest gestures like a hello, a thank you or simply treating someone with kindness can make a difference to somebody's working day.

Simon Martin, Centre Manager at Midsummer Place, said: “As we head towards Christmas, thousands of conversations and interactions will take place across the centre every single day, and behind every one of those is a person working hard to give our visitors a great experience.

“We want Midsummer Place to be somewhere where people enjoy shopping, working and spending time, so this November we're asking our visitors to join us: say hello, say thank you and remember the person behind the counter.”

The Retail Trust is encouraging shopping destinations to promote the campaign through physical displays and social media from November 9.

It will reach its peak around Black Friday on November 27, at the start of one of the busiest shopping periods of the year, with a national “moment of humanity” being planned to unite shoppers and retailers around the campaign.

Simon added: “Christmas shopping can be busy and stressful, both for customers and for the people working in our stores. A little patience and kindness can go a very long way.

“So our message to Milton Keynes is simple: one small word can change a whole moment. Hello.”