Violence and abuse against retail workers soared last year, with the latest figures revealing that the number of incidents spiked to 1,300 per day.
The latest figures from the British Retail Consortium show incidents have risen 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 rise in assaults was being linked to a spike in shoplifting, with the cost of theft to retailers rising 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 figures were taken from BRC’s annual crime survey which 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 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, the BCR’s chief executive, 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.”
