Retail crime falls by a fifth but ‘job far from done’, BRC warns

Violence and abuse against retail workers fell by a fifth to 1,600 last year, but crime still remains above pre-pandemic levels with the “job far from done”, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has warned. 

According to its latest Crime Report, the reduction follows increased security investment, with retailers spending more than £5bn over the last five years on measures including CCTV, security staff and improved data collection.

The BRC also cited an improved police response, with 13% of retailers rating the police response as good, or excellent, up from 9% last year, following closer collaboration between retailers, police, and government. 

Despite the decline, the BRC warned that crime levels are nearly four times the pre-pandemic average. It warned that at 1,600 per day, incidents of violence and abuse are still the second highest on record and “far beyond” the 455 incidents per day pre-pandemic (2019/20). 

It also noted that incidents involving physical violence remained largely unchanged from last year, at 118 per day, and there were on average 36 incidents per day involving a weapon. 

According to the BRC, theft also remains a “significant challenge” for retailers, with 5.5 million detected incidents of shoplifting last year, costing retailers nearly £400m. Including undetected incidents, this figure could be much higher. 

The BRC also warned that organised criminal gangs are increasingly targeting high-value, easily resold goods, “exploiting the lack of consequences from law enforcement”. In addition, the report examined the issue of delivery parcel theft for the first time, which cost retailers more than £100m last year. 

With the Crime and Policing Bill set to pass into law soon, the BRC said retailers hope it will “play a vital role” in granting additional legal protections for retail workers and reducing theft. It added that the bill should apply to all people working in customer facing roles, and is also calling on the government to ensure that the final act protects delivery drivers.

Helen Dickinson, CEO of the BRC, said: “This drop in violence and abuse has been hard won, but the job is far from done as numbers of incidents remain almost four times pre-pandemic levels. Violence remains endemic. No one should go to work fearing for their safety, and we must redouble our efforts to bring these numbers much further down once and for all.  

“Theft remains a huge issue, with an increasingly concerning link to organised criminal gangs, who continue to systematically target one store after another, stealing tens of thousands of pounds worth of goods in one go.” 

She added: “Retailers, the police and government must continue to work together, building on the great work done so far, focusing on consistent enforcement, better data and intelligence sharing, and targeted action against prolific offenders and organised gangs. 

“The £7m investment announced in the policing White Paper is another welcome signal of government’s commitment to tackling organised retail crime. However, turning this into real impact requires sustained prioritisation and dedicated resourcing from police. For the sake of the three million hardworking people in retail, this work must not stop.”

Joanne Thomas, general secretary of Usdaw, said: “The drop in violence and abuse is welcome news, but both Usdaw and BRC data shows that retail workers continue to face unacceptable levels of violence and abuse simply as a result of going to work. The 5.5 million incidents of shop theft are in no way a victimless crime, with Usdaw evidence showing that two-thirds of attacks on retail staff being triggered by theft or armed robbery. Having to deal with repeated and persistent offences can cause issues beyond the theft itself, like anxiety, fear and physical harm to retail workers. 

“We have campaigned, along with many retail employers, for substantial legislative measures to combat this growing problem and we are pleased that the government has introduced the Crime and Policing Bill which includes a much-needed protection of retail workers’ law. This bill sends a clear message that the era of criminals acting with impunity is over.”