Retail crime levels are rising – how can you keep employees safe?
There are some shocking trends highlighted in the most recent British Retail Consortium (BRC) 2024 Retail Crime Survey. And one of the worst has to be the dramatic rise in the number of violent and abusive incidents that retail staff are facing – with a rise from 870 cases per day to 1,300 per day.
The 2024 report covers the period from 1st September 2022 to 31st August 2023. Based on responses from retailers who between them have over 1.1 million employees and nearly £200 billion market turnover, the survey gives one of the most comprehensive and accurate pictures into the realities of retail crime. Along with the appalling increase in the number of violent incidents, some of the other concerns the survey highlighted include:
Customer theft incidents rising from 8 million to 16.7 million.
£1.8 billion being lost to customer theft. That’s a vast increase on the previous survey’s figure of £950 million and also the first time it’s gone over £1 billion.
Just 8% of reported incidents of violence and abuse ending in prosecution.
The report reveals that shoplifters have become more violent, or at the very least more likely to threaten it. The cost-of-living crisis has had an impact too: respondents highlighted that they believe it’s played a big part in the substantial increase in the number of items shoplifters are stealing. And the fact that most offenders face very few consequences means they’re becoming more likely to shoplift repeatedly.
Employees are fearing for their safety
This is a crisis that’s having a real toll on retail employees. The survey highlighted that even where exchanges are not highly physically or verbally aggressive, having to deal with this kind of behaviour on a regular basis is having a significantly detrimental effect on employees. It’s creating a situation where staff often go into work feeling vulnerable and anxious about what might happen that day. Longer term, this can result in recruitment and retention difficulties, along with the potential risk of legal action from employees who feel employers aren’t fulfilling their duty of care.
The retail sector has put a vast amount of resources into keeping employees (and customers) safe and knowing what else to do can be difficult. In Scotland, abuse or violence towards retail workers is a specific offence and there have been calls for it to be designated as a standalone offence in England and Wales too. There are also encouraging early signs that the Retail Crime Action Plan recently launched by the government is already starting to have a positive impact. But it will take time to fully filter through and it remains vital that retailers continue assessing what more they can do to protect employees and improve security where they can.
Protecting your business from retail crime
If you are a retailer, finding ways to deter criminal activity can feel overwhelming. It’s likely you already have taken several steps to increase the level of security at your premises – so what else can you consider?
Take advantage of improvements in technology
One consideration is whether better technology might help you tackle crime to a greater extent. Ever-evolving technology means that security systems such as CCTV have excellent functionality and provide far clearer images than used to be the case. Their presence can deter at least some would-be criminals, but for those who aren’t put off, CCTV systems record valuable evidence of criminal activity, increasing the likelihood of ultimately bringing perpetrators to justice. Always put signage in place to highlight the presence of CCTV cameras, making it clear that actions will be recorded and criminals will be prosecuted.
Don’t leave premises unprotected outside of opening hours either. If you don’t already have one, install an up-to-date intruder alarm, ideally monitored by an approved alarm receiving centre for 24-hour cover. Many centres will monitor both CCTV and intruder alarms so it could be worth assessing whether an upgrade might be a beneficial investment.
Even if you’re happy with your existing CCTV system and/or intruder alarm, check when you last had them serviced to ensure they continue to work correctly. And review whether any layout changes since installation mean you need to make changes. For example, alterations could have been made resulting in CCTV cameras no longer being positioned directly towards high value items. Periodic checks will help you make sure your security equipment is still providing as much protection as possible.
Manage access to unauthorised areas
You could look at access control solutions as an additional way to stop criminals being able to get into some parts of your premises too. Access control systems will also limit employee access to unauthorised areas as unfortunately employee theft can be an issue as well, particularly in those retail outlets where there is a high proportion of seasonal workers. As well as limiting where people can go, many access control systems will provide information about where employees have been to help with any investigations if issues arise.
If you need help, talk to us
Are you trying to identify more ways to protect your retail premises and employees from crime? If you think you might benefit from some professional advice about what else you can do to minimise risks, please do contact us for an initial chat to find out more.
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