UK retailers demand protection against shoplifting surge

Major UK retailers, including Burberry and John Lewis and Marks and Spencer, have called for the Home Secretary’s urgent action in order to stop a nationwide increase in shoplifting and abuses of staff.

Retail leaders from some of the largest employers in the country are calling on the police to focus more attention on the rising rate of retail crime, and to impose stiffer penalties for those who commit it.

In a letter sent to Suella Brverman, Home Secretary, they warned about “unacceptable violence and abuse (against employees) amid an increase in theft, largely organised crime”.

Retailers demanded the government create an independent offence for assaulting or abusing retail workers, and give harsher sentences to offenders. The retail industry also demanded that the police respond to incidents in greater numbers across the UK.

Helen Dickinson is the chief executive officer of the British Retail Consortium which represents this sector. She said, “We see organised gangs threaten staff with weapons and empty stores. We see violence against co-workers who are just doing their jobs and asking for age confirmation.

We are witnessing a torrent abuse directed at the hardworking staff of our shops. It is simply unacceptable. No one should be forced to fear for their safety when they go to work.

According to the BRC, in the case of a major retailer, data from the police showed that officers did not respond to almost three quarters of serious retail crimes reported. In the BRC’s annual crime survey, almost half of retailers said that police response to retail crimes was “poor”.

According to police statistics, shoplifting offenses in the 12 months ending March 2019 were 24 percent higher than the previous year. However, they were still lower than the pre-Covid levels. The 342,000 shoplifting offenses recorded between March and March 2019 compare to the 375,00 offences in the previous year.

Shoplifting is not limited to supermarkets. Clothing and luxury items are also increasingly targeted.

Primark, John Lewis and other retailers have warned recently that crime is cutting into profits. In a recent update it stated that it expects the adjusted operating profit margin to be below 8 percent due to an increase in theft. John Lewis has revealed that its stock “shrinkage”, a measure of the amount of goods lost, increased by £12mn in comparison to last year.

Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, who is responsible for acquisitive crimes, stated that police are committed to combating criminals and prioritise their response to support retailers in reducing shoplifting and assaults on staff.

She added, “Violent crimes will not be tolerated. We prioritise our police response when there is an individual risk.”

We know that organised criminals are responsible for some of these crimes and we appreciate the collaboration between retailers and police, crime commissioners, and policing, through “Project Pegasus”, which improves our ability identify and combat the groups involved.

Currys, JD Sports and Tesco are also signatories. Asda, Matalan Sainsbury’s, Harvey Nichols, Matalan and Tesco have all signed the agreement.

The Home Office has not responded to any requests for comments.