The retail workers union has renewed its calls for added security at high-risk locations after a video showing a "brazen robbery" at a northern Adelaide liquor store was posted online.
The TikTok video shows four individuals with their faces covered by masks and hoodies leave a BWS store in Burton with trolley loads of alcohol.
The video has had more than 1.1 million views in a day and more than 45,800 likes.
Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association SA chief of staff Jordan Mumford told ABC Radio Adelaide, while no-one was hurt during the robbery, the union was concerned by the nature of the theft.
"We understand the staff members are reasonably shaken up, but everyone is doing okay, and we will continue to engage with the workers and the store," he said.
"We were concerned at just how brazen this theft was."
He said the union had been calling on employers to add security guards at troubled locations — calls that have often gone unheeded.
Mr Mumford said workers being abused or assaulted at fast-food and retail outlets had increased in recent months.
"This kind of anti-social behaviour, not just theft, but abuse and violence towards retail, fast-food and liquor workers, petrol-station workers, has really escalated over the recent months," Mr Mumford said.
"So we think it's appropriate where there are these types of incidents occurring regularly that employers put their hands in their pocket and keep their workers and customers safe."
Last year the state government introduced tougher penalties for people who assault retail workers.
During the announcement, South Australian Attorney-General Kyam Maher said there were about 50 assaults in a retail setting each month.
The union hopes the government will back its calls for added security.
"The union can call for additional security, but if the employer doesn't see fit to put those additional security officers on and Safework SA doesn't see fit to enforce the employer to do so, then it doesn't happen," he said.
"In recent weeks we've also called for the state government to have a look at introducing laws which require a security presence at high-risk venues so you can't have employers just refuse to do the right thing."
Workers trained not to intervene
Mr Mumford said in this situation, the workers had done the right thing by not trying to get involved during the robbery.
He noted a number of stores, such as BWS, had taken measures to protect workers, but said more could always be done to protect staff and customers.
"Often when we do see staff members get in the middle of these situations, be it voluntarily or involuntarily, you can often see these situations escalate into more violent and anti-social behaviour, so it was good to see the staff members not in harm's way during this incident," he said.
"We know BWS are taking a number of measures including things like not having cash on premises to encourage this kind of anti-social behaviour, but certainly where there are places with acute thefts, we do want to see additional security measures in place."
In December, a McDonald's worker recounted the moment he was verbally and physically abused while at work.
While he worked at a Melrose Park restaurant, Mr Mumford said there had been many incidents at the Hindley Street store in recent months.
He said the union was calling for more security at that specific location.
BWS thieves had 'clear intent'
City of Salisbury councillor Chad Buchanan said he had spoken with a number of BWS staff following the robbery.
He said while no-one had been hurt, it was a confronting situation for all involved.
"I have spoken to some of the shoppers online who were there and look they were certainly shaken and a lot of people were very angry about what has occurred," he said.
"Thankfully, no-one was hurt although it did appear as the thieves were exiting, one of them pushed a trolley into a customer. It would have been somewhat terrifying for staff and customers."
He also called for more protection for staff and customers, including increasing security and securing products.
"I think what was different in this situation was the brazen nature and the fact that it happened in the middle of the day, and what you can see clearly in the footage, there was four individuals who had a clear intent, went straight in, loaded up the trolleys and exited," he said.
SA Police said while the incident was being investigated, there had been no arrests.
Police are calling for anyone with any information to contact Crime Stoppers.
