Abuse of retail workers almost doubles to 1,300 incidents a day

Violence and abuse against retail workers jumped almost 50% as the number of incidents rose to 1,300 per day in 2022/23 from almost 870 per day the year before, according to data from the British Retail Consortium.

This rise comes despite retailers investing heavily in crime prevention, spending £1.2bn on measures such as CCTV, increased security personnel, and body worn cameras, up from £722m the previous year.

The cost of theft to retailers went up to £1.8bn from £953m the previous year, meaning the total cost of crime to retailers stood at £3.3bn, double the previous year.

While the total number of incidents climbed, dissatisfaction with the police increased, with 60% of respondents describing the police response to incidents as ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’.

According to the BRC retailers are calling on the Government to introduce a standalone offence of assaulting, threatening, or abusing a retail worker.

Helen Dickinson, BRC CEO, said: “Despite retailers investing huge sums in crime prevention, violence and abuse against retail workers is climbing. With over 1,300 incidents every day, the government can no longer ignore the plight of ordinary, hardworking retail colleagues.

“Teenagers taking on their first job, carers looking for part-time work, parents working around childcare. And while the violence can be over in a moment, the victims carry these experiences with them for a lifetime. And we all know the impact does not stop there – it affects their colleagues, friends, and the family our colleagues go home to. This is a crisis that demands action now.”

Katy Bourne, Sussex police and crime commissioner and APCC lead for business crime, said: “The levels of retail crime described in this report reveal an unprecedented level of selfish lawlessness. Every day, retail staff are facing the consequences of shoplifters’ brazen behaviour and that’s why I have supported the call for a specific offence of assault on a shop worker.

“Our courts need to work more efficiently, and shoplifters need to be deterred from re-offending. That’s why I’m calling for my fellow Police & Crime Commissioners to focus their police forces on tackling shoplifting by making it a priority in their local Police and Crime Plans.”