Crime Survey conducted by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) shows that incidents, including racial and sexual abuse, physical assault, and threats with weapons, rose from the pre-Covid high of over 450 per day in 2019/20, to over 850 per day in 2021/2022.
Retail crime has a huge financial cost alongside the huge emotional and physical impact on people. The survey revealed that nearly a billion was lost to customer theft, with eight million incidents of theft over the year.
Retailers also spent £715 million on crime prevention in 2021/22. While some costs are critical in protecting colleagues, they also contribute to higher prices for customers by pushing up retailers’ operating costs.
Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “The pandemic has normalised appalling levels of violent and abusive behaviour against retail workers. While a confrontation may be over in minutes, for many victims, their families and colleagues, the physical and emotional impact can last a lifetime.”
Dickinson emphasized how important it is for the Home Office to improve its reporting around the amendment to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act, which was secured by BRC and others in 2022 following an extensive campaign with the aim to better protect people working in retail. However, as the Home Office does not track the use of this amendment, it becomes impossible to understand if the changes are having an impact.
Katy Bourne, Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner, recorded that the experiences reported across the UK in the BRC Annual Crime Survey mirror those she has been hearing about from businesses in Sussex, and added: “Too many shopworkers are being abused and assaulted every day.
“Where store safety policies guide staff not to challenge offenders, this can lead customers and people living near shops to feel that criminal and anti-social behaviour is becoming normalised.
“It’s clear that we will only drive crime down by bridging some of the gaps that still remain in reporting processes, police response, criminal justice sanctions and a partnership approach to prevention.
“Police need businesses to report incidents and provide evidence that can identify offenders.”
(Source: BRC)
