Tag: shoplifting

Enough Is Enough: Shop workers speak out about violence, threats and abuse

USDAW HIGHLIGHTS THE LINK WITH SHOP THEFT


Retail trade union Usdaw has launched shocking statistics from its annual survey during this year’s Respect for Shop Workers Week, which runs from 11-17 November.

Usdaw members are raising awareness of the union’s year-round Freedom From Fear Campaign and talking to the public to promote a message of ‘respect for shop workers’.

Interim results from over 4,000 retail staff responses show that in the last twelve months:

  • 69% have experienced verbal abuse.
  • 45% were threatened by a customer.
  • 17% were assaulted.
  • 70% of these incidents were triggered by shoplifting and two-thirds of those were linked to addiction. 

Scottish voices from the frontline: 

These are some of the comments Scottish shop workers shared when responding to Usdaw’s survey:

Central Scotland: “Punched in the shoulder and verbal abuse – being called names and sworn at.” – “Shouted at for tills not working.” – “Customer tried to grab my face.” – “Colleague got stabbed with screwdriver.” – I get deliberately misgendered.”

Glasgow: “Daily verbal abuse even when asking customers to scan their bags.” – “Held up at knife point.” – “Couple stole jars of coffee, asked for them back and they smashed a jar of coffee on my head” – “Punched on chin and chest.”

Highlands and Islands: “Threatened with a bottle after customer stole beer.” – “Aggression over being asked for ID, unwanted sexual attention.” – “Customer came behind cash desk and was in my face, telling me she’d be waiting on me.”

Lothian: “Racially abusive statements made to me and about me,” – “Grabbed by the scruff of my work jacket and shook me whilst yelling i had ruined their son’s Christmas because we were out of a specific chocolate” – “Being called a bitch.”

Mid-Scotland and Fife: “Men following to the car” – “Customers unhappy with self-service. Shouting at me or talking in a bad way.” – “Customers being volatile when you will not sell them age restricted items due to no ID.”

North East Scotland: “Theft and threatening behaviour towards myself or my colleagues is a daily occurrence. Worst I have experienced.” – “Referred to as a bloody shelf stacker.” – “Customers shouting at you pushing trollies into you.”

South Scotland: “Kick up the bum by customer.” – “Customers grabbing my waist, pulling my hair, grabbing my shoulder/arms/legs, telling me they stalk me, telling me to meet them after work, making sexual comments toward me.” –

West Scotland: “Called an f**kng moron because I was pulling a trolley on the shop floor.” – “Drunk football fans – alcohol purchase rejection – backed against wall poked in the eye – grabbed by others in the group preventing me from alerting security.”

Tony Doonan, Usdaw regional secretary for Scotland, says: “Shop workers deserve far more respect than they receive and these experiences from Scottish retail workers make very difficult reading.

“It is shocking that over two-thirds of our members working in retail are suffering abuse from customers, with far too many experiencing threats and violence.

“Seven in ten of these incidents were triggered by theft from shops, which is clearly the result of a near doubling in police recorded shoplifting across Scotland since the pandemic. It has become increasingly common for retail stores to be targeted by organised crime gangs stealing to order in the midst of a retail crime epidemic.

“Our survey demonstrates that theft from shops is not a victimless crime, with incidents regularly being a major flashpoint for violence and abuse against shop workers. Having to deal with repeated and persistent theft and even looting can cause issues beyond the incident itself like anxiety, fear and in some cases physical harm to retail workers.

“Our members are reporting that they are often faced with hardened career criminals in their stores and much of the abuse they suffer is from those who are stealing to sell goods on, often to fund an addiction.

“Violence and abuse is not an acceptable part of the job and much more needs to be done to protect shop workers. We were delighted to have won the campaign for a protection of workers law in the Scottish Parliament, but that is the beginning not the end.

“We have to ensure that the legislation is central to tackle a growing wave of retail crime and Usdaw looks forward to working with Police Scotland to make that happen.

“This week, Usdaw activists will be campaigning in their workplaces and communities calling on the shopping public to ‘respect shop workers’ and ‘keep your cool’, particularly in the run-up to Christmas when the number of incidents increases as shops get busy and customers become frustrated.

“This is a hugely important issue for our members, and they are saying loud and clear that enough is enough.”

Unacceptable levels of shop theft ‘causing serious harm to society’

Westminster’s Justice and Home Affairs Committee today publishes a letter to the Minister for Policing, Crime and Fire Prevention, Dame Diana Johnson MP, after conducting an inquiry into shop theft.

The Justice and Home Affairs Committee conducted an inquiry into shop theft. The Committee finds that shop theft is an underreported crime that is not being effectively tackled, leading to a devastating impact on the retail sector and the wider economy.

The Committee heard that there are almost 17 million incidents of shop theft annually, with few leading to an arrest and costing the retail sector almost £2 billion last year.

The nature of the offence has evolved from individualised offending to relentless, large-scale, organised operations accompanied by unprecedented levels of violence. Shop theft is now seen as a lucrative profit-making opportunity which is being exploited by organised criminal networks.

There is a widespread perception that shop theft is not treated seriously by the police. The Committee recognises the need for quicker reporting systems, better data collection and intelligence sharing between police forces across the UK.

The Committee welcomes the work of Pegasus, the new national scheme to tackle organised crime in the retail sector and recommends that existing schemes such as Business Crime Reduction Partnerships (linking police and local businesses) should all be part of a National Standards Accreditation Scheme.

The Committee concludes:

  • The outdated term “shoplifting” serves to trivialise the severity of the offence and should be phased out.
  • The Committee supports the plan to repeal the offence of “low-value shoplifting” under section 176 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act, which in practice is decriminalising shop theft where the value of the goods does not exceed £200.
  • The Committee supports the creation of a standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker.
  • Improved reporting systems are required to enable retailers to report crime to the police quickly and easily.
  • The Committee recommends improving mechanisms for police and criminal justice systems to recognise and record when a crime has taken place in a retail setting.
  • Increased funding to community-based reoffending and rehabilitation initiatives are crucial to help divert prolific drug and alcohol addicted offenders away from further offending.
  • Public awareness campaigns are needed to target the stolen goods market.
  • The Committee supports the introduction of regulations and best practice guidance for the use of facial recognition technology by private companies.

Lord Foster of Bath, Chair of the Justice and Home Affairs Committee said: “In March 2024, 443,9953 incidents of shop theft were recorded by police – a 30% increase on the previous year and the highest-ever level since comparable records began over twenty years ago.

“But the figures are “a drop in the ocean” when compared with likely real figures estimated at 17 million with devastating consequences for businesses and families.

“The scale of the shop theft problem within England and Wales is totally unacceptable and action, like that underway in the Pegasus scheme, is vital and urgent.

“There’s no silver bullet. But, if adopted, the recommendations in our report should help tackle the problem and help keep the public and our economy safer.”

‘To the shoplifters and those abusing shopworkers, enough is enough’

Prime Minister launches retail crime crackdown

Serial or abusive shoplifters will face tougher punishments as the Prime Minister sets out tough new action to crack down on retail crime and protect UK highstreets.

Assaulting a retail worker will be made a standalone criminal offence in England, sending a clear message that there will be tough consequences for this unacceptable behaviour. 

Perpetrators could be sent to prison for up to six months, receive an unlimited fine and be banned from going back to the shop where they committed their crimes, with Criminal Behaviour Orders barring them visiting specific premises. 

Breaching an order is also a criminal offence and carries a five-year maximum prison sentence. For the most serious cases of assault, such as causing grievous bodily harm with intent, offenders could face a life sentence.

The move to create the new offence follows longstanding campaigning on this issue from Matt Vickers MP, and some of the biggest retailers, calling for more action to better protect their staff. 

The UK government is also stepping up action to clamp down on offenders who repeatedly target the country’s high streets, with serial offenders forced to wear tags to track their movements. 

These tags will be a constant and physical reminder to offenders that the Probation Service can find out where they have been and when, and that they risk being sent to prison if they refuse to obey the rules. Under an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill, if an offender is found guilty of assaulting staff three times, or is sentenced for shoplifting on three separate occasions, they should be made to wear a tag as part of any community order.

Ahead of this legislation coming in, the UK government will partner with a police force to pilot a bespoke package of community sentencing measures which can be used by judges to tackle high levels of shoplifting, sending a clear message that repeat criminality will not be tolerated.

The government is also ramping up the use of facial recognition technology to help catch perpetrators and prevent shoplifting in the first place. Backed by a £55.5m investment over the next four years, the police will be able to further roll this new state of the art technology.

This will include £4m for bespoke mobile units that can be deployed to high streets across the country with live facial recognition used in crowded areas to identify people wanted by the police – including repeat shoplifters.

The mobile units will take live footage of crowds in towns and on highstreets, comparing images to specific people wanted by the police or banned from that location. Police in the area will then be alerted so they can track down these offenders.  

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “Since 2010, violent and neighbourhood crime in England and Wales has fallen dramatically, showing our plan to keep our streets safe is working. Yet shoplifting and violence and abuse towards retail workers continues to rise.

“I am sending a message to those criminals – whether they are serious organised criminal gangs, repeat offenders or opportunistic thieves – who think they can get away with stealing from these local businesses or abusing shopworkers, enough is enough.

“Our local shops are the lifeblood of our communities, and they must be free to trade without the threat of crime or abuse.”

The action set out today builds on the successes already through the police’s Retail Crime Action Plan, which was commissioned by the Crime and Policing Minister, Chris Philp last year.

This included a range of measures, such as a police commitment to prioritise urgently attending the scene of shop theft involving violence against a shop worker, where security guards have detained an offender or where attendance is needed to secure evidence, which is showing signs of progress.

Home Secretary James Cleverly said: “There is quite simply no excuse for threatening behaviour or stealing – which can run other people’s livelihoods into the ground, while being traumatic for workers. 

“To turn a blind eye to retail crime shakes the foundations of law and order which protect our society and that is unacceptable. We are enhancing our plan and doubling down on the zero-tolerance approach needed to fight back. 

“The number of offenders being charged for these crimes is increasing and while I want to see more people face consequences for their actions, our plan is designed to help put a stop to these crimes happening in the first place.”

The government has driven forward significant efforts to tackle retail crime in the past year, bringing together policing and business to commit to smarter, more joined up working to reduce criminal behaviour and rebuild public confidence in the police response when it does occur. 

Crime and Policing Minister Chris Philp said: “Sadly if you speak to anyone working in retail, they will tell you of the verbal abuse and sometimes violent assaults they’ve been victims of, simply for trying to do their job. 

“In no other work place would this be accepted. I have been driving forward action to improve the police response to retail crime since I became Policing Minister, because nothing less than a zero-tolerance approach will do.

“That’s why today we’re sending a clear message to criminals that enough is enough bringing forward further measures to protect retail workers and crack down on those who continuously disregard the law.”

A specialist new police team set up last year is building intelligence on organised retail crime gangs funded through ‘Pegasus’, a first-of-its-kind business and policing partnership backed by 14 of the UK’s biggest retailers, National Business Crime Solutions and the Home Office, launched to radically improve the way retailers are able to share intelligence with police to identify more offenders. The unit forms part of Opal, the national police intelligence unit for serious organised acquisitive crime.   

Where CCTV or other digital images are secured, police are committed to running this through the Police National Database, as standard, to aid efforts to identify prolific offenders or potentially dangerous individuals. This builds on the pledge by police forces across England and Wales that they will follow up on all lines of enquiry, where there is a reasonable chance it could lead them to catching a perpetrator and solving a crime.

All police forces across England and Wales made another significant commitment last year to prioritise police attendance at the scene of a retail crime incident where violence has been used towards shop staff, where an offender has been detained by store security, or where evidence needs to be secured and can only be done by police personnel.

Paul Gerrard, Campaigns and Public Affairs Director of The Co-op Group, said: “The Co-op sees every day the violence and threats our colleagues, like other retail workers, face as they serve the communities they live in.

“We have long called for a standalone offence of attacking or abusing a shopworker and so we very much welcome the Government’s announcement today.

“The Co-op will redouble our work with police forces but these measures will undoubtedly, when implemented, keep our shopworkers safer, protect the shops they work in and help the communities both serve.”

Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “After relentless campaigning for a specific offence for assaulting retail workers, the voices of the three million people working in retail are finally being heard.

“The impact of retail violence has steadily worsened, with people facing racial abuse, sexual harassment, threatening behaviour, physical assault and threats with weapons, often linked to organised crime. Victims are ordinary hardworking people – teenagers taking on their first job, carers looking for part-time work, parents working around childcare.

“This announcement sends a clear message that abusive behaviour will not be tolerated and it is vital the police use this new legislation to step up their response to incidents. Together, we must stamp out this scourge in crime that has been sweeping the nation and ensure retail workers are given the vital protections they deserve.

Sharon White, Chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, said: “Retail crime is never victimless – it costs retailers over £1 billion every year and can have a huge impact on the shop workers involved. 

“We’ve long called for violence towards retail workers to be recognised as a standalone offence so welcome this announcement, which sends a clear message that abuse will never be tolerated. It will help deter acts of aggression, and allow police to drive prosecutions should instances escalate.”

Industry report reveals devastating impact of crime on the Scottish convenience sector

Figures published in the Scottish Grocers Federation (SGF) Crime Report & Safer Business Guide 2023/24, today highlight a shocking escalation in retail crime over the past year.

The organisation is calling for urgent action from government.

Findings uncovered by the convenience trade association show that the average cost of retail crime skyrocketed to £12,164 per store in 2023/24. As an average across the 763 stores which took part in the SGF annual crime survey. Scaling up the sample to represent all 5,171 convenience stores in Scotland, this accounts for an annual cost of approximately £62.9million which is crippling the sector.

Information gathered for the report and published during the SGF annual Crime & Wellbeing Seminar, being held at Hampden Park today, shows that:

  • 100% of convenience retailers agree that shoplifting has increased in the past year, while 99.5% say that shoplifting is now a daily occurrence.
  • More than nine out of every ten stores report that violence against staff occurs at least once a week and Hate Crime once a month (92.8% and 92.7% respectively)
  • Over half (56.9%) of respondents also report experiencing daily incidents of abuse when refusing a sale or when asking for proof of age.

Analysis of the data also reveals a fall in confidence in the Scottish Justice System to tackle the growing problem of retail crime. With, for example, over two thirds of respondents saying they are either unlikely or very unlikely to report shoplifting incidents to the police.

SGF Chief Executive, Dr Pete Cheema OBE, said: “Almost every week we are told of another terrible incident in one of our members’ stores. From machete and knife attacks to organised gangs roving through communities targeting vulnerable businesses to loot. It’s completely understandable that some members of staff are now refusing to come to work for fear of their safety. 

“Sadly, these incidents and many others even more distressing and harrowing cases of shop theft, abuse, threatening behaviour, and violence are now commonplace in stores right across Scotland. Our annual survey of Scottish convenience stores shows just how bad things have become.

“It’s not just the escalating price tag of theft and vandalism that is costing convenience businesses, but harm to the physical health and wellbeing of retailers and staff. That trauma is then carried home to people’s families and their local communities.

“That is why we desperately need Ministers to take urgent action, now. The police and courts can’t cope, and many crimes are going unreported because retailers don’t believe the authorities will respond. Offenders know they’re unlikely to face any consequences for their crimes and even if they are arrested, many will spend years awaiting conviction.   

“We are urging the Scottish Government to act now, before things get even worse. If not now, then when?” 

The SGF Crime Report & Safer Business Guide 2023/24 provides a range of resources and materials, including crime case studies from Retailers Against Crime and advice for retailers on conflict management, in-store security measures and cybercrime.

Retail crime a “crisis that demands action’

  • 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.”



Katy Bourne 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.”

The Pegasus initiative: Action plan to tackle shoplifting launched

The UK Government has brought together retailers and policing to set out measures to tackle the rise in shoplifting, catch more offenders and keep retail workers safe.

Policing Minister Chris Philp chaired a meeting with senior police leaders and 13 of the UK’s biggest retailers yesterday to launch the Retail Crime Action Plan. 

Commissioned by the minister and published yesterday, the plan includes a police commitment to prioritise urgently attending the scene of shoplifting instances involving violence against a shop worker, where security guards have detained an offender or where attendance is needed to secure evidence. Police attendance will be assessed based on risk, and prolific or juvenile offenders will be treated with elevated priority. 

Police have also reaffirmed their pledge to follow up on any evidence that could reasonably lead to catching a perpetrator. Forces will step up targeted hotspot patrols in badly affected areas. 

The plan sets out advice for retailers on how to provide the best possible evidence for police to pursue in any case. They should send CCTV footage of the whole incident, and an image of the shoplifter from the digital evidence management system, as quickly as possible after an offence has been committed. 

Where CCTV or other digital images are secured, police will run this through the Police National Database using facial recognition technology to further aid efforts to identify and prosecute offenders – particularly prolific or potentially dangerous individuals.

A specialist new police team is also being created to build a comprehensive intelligence picture of the organised crime gangs that fuel many shoplifting incidents across the country, to help target and dismantle them.

The initiative, called Pegasus, is a business and policing partnership that will radically improve the way retailers are able to share intelligence with policing, to better understand the tactics used by organised retail crime gangs and identify more offenders. This will include development of a new information sharing platform and training for retailers.

Spearheaded by Katy Bourne, the Business Crime lead for the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC), Pegasus is the first national partnership of its kind. It is backed by the Home Office, John Lewis, the Co-op, M&S, Boots, Primark and several more, who have collectively pledged to provide over £840,000 to get the initiative off the ground.

Crime and Policing Minister Chris Philp said: “I want a new zero-tolerance approach to tackling shoplifting. It is a blight on our highstreets and communities and puts the livelihoods of traders at risk. I am determined to drive forward change.

“While it is encouraging to see a 29% increase in charges for shoplifting in the past year, the rise in offending is unacceptable and there is much more to do to stop it happening in the first place.

“That’s why we’re taking action and bringing together government, policing and business to commit to smarter, more joined up working when it comes to retail crime, which will help to drive down criminal behaviour and rebuild public confidence in the police response when it does occur.”

The majority of funding for Pegasus will go towards the creation of a dedicated team of specialist analysts and intelligence officers to work within OPAL, the national policing team that oversees intelligence on serious organised acquisitive crime.

OPAL is run by Detective Chief Superintendent Jim Taylor and overseen by North Wales Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman. Recruitment has already started, and the team will be operational later this month, delivering outcomes across the country by the New Year.

Pegasus will deliver a new digital interface to streamline information sharing between retailers and the police and also provide training for retailers on appropriate information and intelligence to share with policing.

Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman, National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Acquisitive Crime, said: “Dealing with retail crime requires a multi-faceted approach and through the launch of Pegasus, plus the Retail Crime Action Plan, we have bolstered the policing response to tackling offenders and supporting retailers in reducing shoplifting and attacks on retail staff.

“We welcome the collaboration between retailers, police and crime commissioners and policing through Project Pegasus which centralises intelligence and enhances our ability to identify and tackle the groups involved.

“We continue to target those prolific and habitual offenders whose behaviour causes misery and takes profit from our communities and retailers. Local police forces assess each report through a threat, harm and risk model to determine their police response and will deploy resources where they can be most effective in catching offenders and keeping people safe.”

Paul Gerrard, Campaigns, Public Affairs and Board Secretariat Director of the Co-op, said: “The Co-op has long called for greater police prioritisation so they tackle the rampant rise in retail crime especially those involving violence or prolific offenders; this is now what happens at present as our colleagues see every day.

“We, therefore, welcome the commitments in the ‘Retail Crime Action Plan’ to attend incidents of violence, incidents where offenders have been detained and ensure all evidence is collected so every reasonable line of enquiry can be followed.

“Alongside Operation Pegasus, which the Co-op is helping to fund, we are hopeful that this will mark the point at which the police will provide the support to protect shopworkers and shops so they can help the communities they serve thrive.

“The Co-op stands ready to work with every police force to ensure our colleagues and the shops they work in can continue to serve their communities.”

Katy Bourne, PCC and APCC National Lead for Business and Retail Crime, said:  “Pegasus will be a game changer in the fight against retail crime providing for the first time an accurate national picture of the organised groups from local families to cross border criminals driving organised shop theft. 

“Retailers will agree ways to capture information that can be shared and analysed to create intelligence packages for police forces to target and track perpetrators. I am very grateful to all the contributors to Pegasus and to Mitie in particular for helping to get Pegasus airborne.”

Nicki Juniper, Head of Security for the John Lewis Partnership, said: “While there’s no silver bullet for tackling retail crime, we welcome this significant step forward.

“Retail crime is not victimless, it has an impact on Partners, customers and on prices. We look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with police and others in the sector to keep our Partners and customers safe.