Retail crime at crisis levels

New figures published today by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) show crime in the sector is at the highest level recorded, with urgent action and intervention needed to protect workers and businesses. 

The BRC’s annual Crime Survey paints a shocking picture, revealing that incidents of violence and abuse climbed to more than 2,000 per day in the period of 2023/24, up from 1,300 the previous year, and three times higher than 2020. 

Incidents included assault, threats with weapons, racial and sexual abuse. As the total number of occurrences rises, and their nature becomes increasingly aggressive, satisfaction with intervention from the police remains low, with 61% of respondents describing their response as ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’, and 29% as fair. 

Theft, too, is at an all-time high, with more than 20 million incidents recorded in the survey – at a cost of £2.2 billion, up from £1.8 billion. 

Two thirds of retail staff surveyed felt stressed and anxious going to work due to the level of retail crime, said Chris Brook-Carter, chief executive of the Retail Trust. “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.” 

Chris adds that retailers are taking these threats “extremely seriously”. “But stronger measures are clearly needed to prevent this criminal behaviour.” 

These are issues retail bodies have been discussing and campaigning over for some time. 

Just last autumn the British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) published its own Retail Crime Survey, completed in September, which drew a concerning picture of escalating theft, persistent verbal abuse, and a worrying uptick in assaults on staff. The organisation found that more than 78% of independent businesses had experienced theft in the space of 12 months.

At the time Andrew Goodacre, Bira CEO, said the results were “deeply troubling”. “We’re seeing a sustained increased in criminal activity, coupled with reduced police response. Our members are caught in the crossfire, and it’s clear that current measures are failing to protect them.” 

We are facing, he said, “a crisis in confidence in our ability to protect our high streets”. 

The BRC’s report shows, unsurprisingly, the cost of security and private crime prevention has soared in the last year, with £1.8 billion of investment by retailers into CCTV, extra staff, anti-theft devices and body cameras – an additional cost most independents will struggle with in the face of rising business rates, employer NI increases and other factors coming into place this spring. 

The BRC puts the total cost of retail crime in 2023/24 to £4.2 billion, up from £3.3 billion, which could limit investment, while pushing up prices for customers. 

Government has pledged to address this shift through stronger measures to tackle shoplifting and anti-social behaviour, including removing the £200 threshold for ‘low level’ theft. Labour also said the party would introduce a standalone offence for assaulting a retail worker. But these policies are just the tip of the iceberg of what needs to be done, say those within the sector. 

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC, said retail crime is spiralling out of control, detailing stories of workers being spat on 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, she added, before pointing to a lack of faith in police attendance as being one of the reasons for rising theft figures. “It is no wonder criminals feel they have the 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.” 

Helen said she looked forward to seeing crucial legislation being put in place this year. “Only if the industry, government and police work together, can we finally see this awful trend reverse.” 

Paddy Lillis, general secretary of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied workers (Usdaw), said retail crime has a very direct impact on the future viability of stores and jobs. Communities, he added, are being “blighted” and staff are working in fear of the next incident. 

“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.”