Retail crime is at its highest level on record, according to new
figures released today from the British Retail Consortium's (BRC)
Annual Crime Survey.
The survey reveals incidents of violence and abuse in 2023/24
climbed to over 2,000 per day, up from 1,300 the year before.
This is more than three times what it was in 2020, when there
were just 455 incidents a day. Incidents included racial or
sexual abuse, physical assault or threats with weapons. There
were 70 incidents per day which involved a weapon, more than
double the previous year.
With the total number of incidents continuing to grow, and their
nature becoming increasingly aggressive, satisfaction with the
police remains low, with 61% of respondents describing the police
response to incidents as ‘poor' or ‘very poor'. Of the remaining,
29% rated the response as ‘fair', a further 6% said good, and 3%
described it as ‘excellent', the first time in five years that
any retailers have rated it as such.
Theft also reached an all-time high with over 20 million
incidents (over 55,000 per day) costing retailers £2.2 billion in
2023/24 (up from £1.8 billion the previous year). Many more
incidents are linked to organised crime, with gangs
systematically targeting stores across the country, stealing tens
of thousands of pounds worth of goods and rotating around
multiple stores.
Unsurprisingly, the amount spent on crime prevention is also at a
record high, with retailers investing £1.8 billion on measures
such as CCTV, more security personnel, anti-theft devices and
body worn cameras, up from £1.2 billion the previous year. This
takes the total cost of crime to an eye-watering £4.2 billion, up
from £3.3 billion. And adds to the wider cost pressures retailers
already face, further limiting investment and pushing up prices
for customers everywhere.
The Labour Government has pledged to address the rise in retail
crime through stronger measures to tackle shoplifting and
anti-social behavior, including removing the £200 threshold of
‘low level' theft. They also announced in the King's Speech they
would introduce a standalone offence for assaulting a retail
worker. Retailers will be looking closely at the details of the
Crime and Policing Bill to ensure that its protections apply to
all customer-facing retail workers, from those behind the till to
delivery drivers.
Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail
Consortium, said:
“Retail crime is spiralling out of
control. People in retail have been spat on, racially abused, and
threatened with machetes. Every day this continues, criminals are
getting bolder and more aggressive. We owe it to the three
million hardworking people working in retail to bring the
epidemic of crime to heel. No one should go to work in fear.
“With little faith in police attendance, it is no wonder
criminals feel they have licence to steal, threaten, assault and
abuse. Retailers are spending more than ever before, but they
cannot prevent crime alone. We need the police to respond to and
handle every reported incident appropriately. We look forward to
seeing crucial legislation to protect retail workers being put in
place later this year. Only if the industry, Government and
police work together, can we finally see this awful trend
reverse.”
Paddy Lillis, General Secretary of Usdaw, said:
“The scale of the epidemic of retail crime is laid bare in this
shocking BRC report. Crime has a very direct impact on the
viability of stores, as retailers go to increasing lengths and
expense to make them secure and safe. Communities are blighted by
anti-social behaviour and store closures. Staff are working in
fear of the next incident of abuse, threats or violence. We have
campaigned along with the BRC for substantial legislative
measures to combat this growing problem and we are pleased that
the Government will be introducing the Crime and Policing Bill,
which will meet our aims. That is only part of the fightback
against the criminals and we will continue to work closely with
retailers to deliver respect for shop workers.”
Chris Brook-Carter, Chief Executive of retail industry
charity the Retail Trust, said:
“Almost half of the retail workers we've surveyed told us they
currently fear for their safety and nearly two thirds are
stressed and anxious going to work due to this unacceptable level
of retail crime. People are contacting our helpline in their
thousands to report horrifying incidents of abuse and violence
and many say that they are now at breaking point.
“Retailers are taking the threat to their staff's physical safety
extremely seriously and more and more of them are working with
the Retail Trust to reduce the terrible toll it is having on
their people's mental wellbeing. But stronger measures are
clearly needed to prevent this criminal behaviour from happening
in the first place.”
