Retail workers say they are being threatened "almost daily" by groups of teenagers and have resorted to letting people steal goods at a south Canberra town centre.
A leaders forum in Tuggeranong has heard retail workers are increasingly exposed to abuse, threats and intimidation, often involving young people and repeat offenders.
McDonald's franchisee Ben Stockbridge said his staff were seeing an escalation in abusive behaviour across his seven restaurants in the ACT, particularly in Tuggeranong.
