‘Everyone is considering what would happen if their area was next for racist riots’

It’s not an exaggeration to say a chill went down my spine when I saw the riots unfolding across the UK last weekend.

Perhaps naïvely, I had hoped the violence in Southport last week, with far-right groups cynically exploiting that town’s tragedy, would be a one-off. As more reports came in of more violence in more cities, I felt uncomfortable echoes of the riots in London and other cities in 2011.

The catalyst for those events was very different but there was a common factor: retailers and other businesses in high streets and communities caught up in the incidents, suffering damage to their shops and looting. In the worst cases in 2011, shops were set on fire.

Thankfully, at the time of writing, while there has been some damage and looting, no convenience stores have been torched or destroyed. Retailers have reported cars and trees being set on fire outside their shops, situations suddenly escalating from tense to terrifying, and stores closing at a moment’s notice to protect colleagues from the advancing mob.

“Those of us who have never had to live with racism need to understand how close to the surface these fears are for many of our colleagues”

It’s a situation nobody should be put in during their working lives and if the brunt is being born by brave police officers, there are many others in the community feeling the strain too.

The question I’m asking, and being asked, right now is ’what’s next?’ Will the flow of stories about criminal convictions, a bit of rain, public outrage and the fact that the truly committed instigators of these riots are very small in number lead to this fizzling out? Will we look back on this as a shameful but brief moment in our history?

Or, will the racism that fuelled these incidents find new ways of revealing itself in violence in our communities? Everyone running a retail business, especially in a town or city, is considering what would happen if their local area was the location for the next riot.

British Asians – who make up 44% of the independent convenience sector – have further concerns. Will they be targeted in their store or their local community? Those of us who have never had to live with racism need to understand how close to the surface these fears are for many of our colleagues in the industry.

“The convenience store industry is an exemplar of a harmonious sector serving diverse communities, breaking down barriers and bringing people together”

I want to end by conveying my genuine hope and optimism. Very few people are trying to start race riots. Yes, more people have, through ignorance and boredom, joined in. Add together all of them and they are dwarfed by the number of people who welcome diversity in the community.

The convenience store industry is an exemplar of a harmonious sector serving diverse communities, breaking down barriers and bringing people together. The general public rates their convenience store as one of the most positive features of the places they live, providing essential services and fuelling the local economy.

It’s sad and shocking that the people running and working in those stores are having to think more about the threat from the communities they serve and play leading roles within. I hope the vast majority of people will reflect on the value they bring and that this terrible episode will pass without serious injury, or worse, for members of the retail community.

I would encourage retailers impacted by these events to reach out for help, specifically to Grocery Aid’s excellent helpline for emotional support, and to ACS or whichever trade association they work with, so we can relay these experiences to the Home Office and the police.