BRC survey shows a 50% increase in levels of retail
violence and abuse, to 1,300 incidents a day
Cost of theft doubled to £1.8 billion in 2022/23 with
over 45,000 incidents a day
60% of respondents say police response is “poor” or “very
poor”
Violence and abuse against retail workers soared last year, with
the latest figures from the British Retail Consortium’s (BRC)
crime survey revealing that
the number of incidents rose to 1,300 per day in 2022/23 from
almost 870 per day the year before.
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.
The BRC’s annual crime survey highlights the scale of
violence and abuse faced by people working in retail. Incidents,
which include racial abuse, sexual harassment, physical assault,
and threats with weapons, are now on a par with the levels seen
during the pandemic, when staff bore the brunt of some people’s
frustration with Covid safety measures.
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’.
Retailers are calling on the Government to introduce a standalone
offence of assaulting, threatening, or abusing a retail worker.
This would send a clear message that this behaviour will not be
tolerated, making retail workers feel safer in the workplace. It
would also mean the police have data that allows them to
understand the scale of the issue, and to allocate sufficient
resources to deal with it. This would ensure that retail workers
have the same protection under the law as they do in Scotland,
where a similar offence was introduced in 2021.
Helen Dickinson OBE, Chief Executive of the British
Retail Consortium, said:
“Despite retailers investing huge sums in crime prevention,
violence and abuse against retail workers is climbing. With over
1,300 incidents every day, 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.
“Criminals are being given a free pass to steal goods and to
abuse and assault retail colleagues. No one should have to go to
work fearing for their safety. The Protection of Workers Act in
Scotland already provides additional protection to retail
workers, so why should our hardworking colleagues south of the
border be offered less protection? It is vital that government
takes action – introducing a new standalone offence for
assaulting or abusing a retail worker.”
OBE, Sussex Police & 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 shopworker.
“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 & Crime Plans."
