Retailers Warn of Systematic Shop Theft and Violence
Criminal gangs are systematically targeting UK shops, with 5.5 million shoplifting incidents recorded last year, resulting in an estimated £400 million loss for the retail industry, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).
The BRC has highlighted the endemic violence faced by shop workers, who experienced an average of 36 daily incidents involving weapons in 2023. High levels of theft have caused significant anxiety among retail staff.
Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the BRC, urged police forces to consistently prioritise tackling retail crime and to allocate dedicated resources to address the issue effectively.
Government Legislation and Retail Crime Trends
The BRC's findings coincide with new government legislation proposing a standalone offence for assaulting retail workers and the removal of the £200 threshold for low-level theft, which carries a maximum six-month custodial sentence. These measures are part of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act currently progressing through Parliament and expected to be implemented in spring.
Incidents of violence and abuse against retail workers decreased by 20% to 1,600 daily in the last financial year, down from 2,000 daily in 2023-24. Additionally, 13% of retailers rated police response as good or excellent, an increase from 9% the previous year, based on the BRC's annual retailer crime survey.
Despite this improvement, the number of incidents remains the second highest on record and more than three times the 455 daily incidents recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of physical assaults remained steady at 118 daily.
Statements from Industry Leaders
"Violence remains endemic. No one should go to work fearing for their safety, and we must redouble our efforts to bring these numbers much further down once and for all," said Helen Dickinson.
She noted that significant investment by retailers in security measures, including additional security personnel, facial recognition technology, and security tags, along with improved police responses over the past year, have contributed to reductions in violence and abuse against retail workers.
Some experts attribute the rise in retail crime to factors such as the increasing cost of living, including essential items like baby formula and dairy products, and retailers' adoption of labour-saving technologies like self-checkouts, which may impact staff presence and deterrence.
Joanne Thomas, General Secretary of the shop workers’ union Usdaw, stated:
"The drop in violence and abuse is welcome news, but both Usdaw and BRC data shows that retail workers continue to face unacceptable levels of violence and abuse simply as a result of going to work.
"The 5.5m incidents of shop theft are in no way a victimless crime, with Usdaw evidence showing that two-thirds of attacks on retail staff are being triggered by theft or armed robbery. Having to deal with repeated and persistent offences can cause issues beyond the theft itself, like anxiety."
Data and Government Support
The 5.5 million recorded retail theft incidents are not directly comparable to previous years due to changes in the BRC's data representation methods. The BRC estimates that the actual number of incidents and the associated costs may be significantly higher.
Helen Dickinson welcomed the government’s commitment to invest £7 million over the next three years to enhance responses to retail crime. This funding is part of a broader initiative to improve local policing, which includes adding 13,000 neighbourhood and community support officers across England and Wales by 2029.
However, Dickinson emphasized ongoing challenges:
"Theft remains a huge issue, with an increasingly concerning link to organised criminal gangs, who continue to systematically target one store after another, stealing tens of thousands of pounds worth of goods in one go.
Retailers, the police and government must continue to work together, building on the great work done so far, focusing on consistent enforcement, better data and intelligence sharing, and targeted action against prolific offenders and organised gangs.
However, turning this into real impact requires sustained prioritisation and dedicated resourcing from police. For the sake of the 3 million hard-working people in retail, this work must not stop."
