1,300 retail staff attacked every day
SHOPLIFTERS doubled their haul last year, stealing a record £1.8billion-worth of goods as violence against retail workers spiked.
Physical and verbal attacks soared to 1,300 per day – up from 870 the year before.
The British Retail Consortium, which published the figures, said action by ministers had been “woefully inadequate” in dealing with the crisis.
The trade group’s annual survey found that 8,800 incidents against workers had resulted in injury in the year to September.
Attacks ranged from racial abuse and sexual harassment to physical assault and threats with weapons.
The total remains significantly higher than before the pandemic.
During the Covid crisis the number of incidents tripled, with customers taking out their frustrations over safety measures on shop staff. The BRC, whose members include over 200 major chains, surveyed a sample of retailers representing 1.1 million workers. It found customer theft doubled to 16.7 million incidents a year, up from eight million.
And shoplifting surpassed the £1billion mark for the first time. Some retailers said the cost-ofliving crisis changed shoplifting from one or two items to many. The Co-op reported more than 300,000 incidents of shoplifting, abuse, violence and anti-social behaviour in its stores last year, and called for MPs not to “turn their backs” on shop workers.
John Lewis said shoplifting had become an “epidemic” with a rise in organised gangs looting stores.
During the year of the survey, CPI inflation hit a peak of 11.1%, with shoppers having to pay much higher prices for everyday goods.
Retailers said they had seen a greater willingness among shoplifters to turn to violence, and they felt there was a lack of consequences. As a result, shops spent £1.2billion on crime prevention measures such as CCTV, security personnel and bodyworn cameras.
BRC boss Helen Dickinson said: “The Government can no longer ignore the plight of ordinary, hardworking retail colleagues.
“Criminals are being given a free pass to steal goods and to abuse and assault retail colleagues.
Safety
“No one should have to go to work fearing for their safety. This is a crisis that demands action now.”
The BRC, along with business leaders, is calling for the introduction of a standalone offence for violence against retail workers. This would bring England and Wales in line with Scotland, which passed a Protection of Workers Act in 2021.
A Home Office spokesman said: “The Policing Minister has been clear police must take a zero-tolerance approach to shoplifting. Violence against a retail worker is unacceptable, which is why we made it an aggravating offence to ensure tougher sentences for perpetrators.”