A Coles worker was stabbed at a shopping center in Ipswich, Queensland, prompting the supermarket chain to announce the immediate suspension of kitchen knife sales across all its Australian stores. The company cited safety concerns and an ongoing review as reasons for the decision. The Australian Retail Association expressed alarm over the rising incidents of violence against retail workers, calling for enhanced safety measures. Woolworths, another major supermarket chain, shared that 350 of its stores already ceased selling knives after a similar incident in 2021.
A 63-year-old Coles worker was stabbed at a shopping centre near Warwick Road in Yamanto, Ipswich, around 5.25 pm on Monday. Following the alleged attack, Coles announced today that they would cease the sale of kitchen knives in all their stores nationwide. \In a statement released to nine.com.au, a Coles spokesperson confirmed, ' Coles has made the decision to withdraw its range of kitchen knives for sale from supermarkets across Australia.
' They emphasized, 'Coles complies with all legislation regarding the sale of kitchen knives, and this withdrawal is being taken out of an abundance of caution as we conduct a review. The safety of our team members and customers is our number one priority across all aspects of our business.' \It appears the knives have already vanished from Coles stores, with nine.com.au unable to locate any on display at their local branch. The Australian Retail Association (ARA) expressed concern about the rising tide of violence in retail settings, highlighting that there have been approximately 700,000 retail crime incidents impacting staff nationally in the past year. An ARA spokesperson stated, 'The ARA and National Retail Association continue to call for strengthened safety measures to protect retail workers amidst a concerning wave of violence in retail settings. The ARA and NRA were deeply concerned by this shocking act of violence (in Queensland) - something no worker should ever have to face.' Woolworths informed 9News that 350 of their stores across Australia already refrain from selling knives following an attack on a staff member in Brunswick, Victoria, in 2021. \Woolworths expressed their support for the Coles team member and their family, stating, 'Our thoughts are with the Coles team member and their family at this tragic time.' They added, 'There is no place for violence like this anywhere in our community and all retail workers deserve the right to a safe and respectful workplace.' Woolworths assured that they have packaging protocols in place to ensure the kitchen knives they sell are securely housed in high-grade clamshell packaging. They committed to continued collaboration with government, police, and industry bodies to safeguard both their teams and customers from violence and aggression within their stores. The injured woman is currently reported to be in a critical but stable condition
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