Retail workers endure 1,600 incidents of violence and abuse each day, according to the latest British Retail Consortium (BRC) survey. While this marks a 20% decline from 2,000 daily incidents in 2024, staff safety remains a pressing concern.
Persistent Threats Despite Improvements
The survey reveals 118 physical violence cases daily, with 36 involving weapons—more than one per hour. BRC Chief Executive Helen Dickinson states, ‘The relentlessness may have eased, but the fear has not disappeared.’ She adds, ‘For too many of our three million retail colleagues, fear has quietly become part of the job.’
Incidents encompass shouted abuse, threats, racist or homophobic slurs, pushes, and shoves. Post-pandemic rises in shoplifting and worker abuse have heightened tensions.
Major Investments in Protection
Over the past five years, retailers have spent more than £5 billion on crime prevention, including security guards, CCTV, body-worn cameras, and de-escalation training. Major chains like Tesco employ these measures, which Dickinson notes can prevent escalations.
Shoplifting Epidemic Driven by Organized Crime
Last year saw 5.5 million recorded shoplifting incidents, costing nearly £400 million in losses. This figure dropped from over 20 million in 2024 due to refined survey methods focusing on known thefts, though the true total remains far higher.
Organized crime groups dominate, often ‘stealing to order’ for pre-requested high-value items. Dickinson explains, ‘When challenged, offenders do not apologize and return goods. Serial thieves know when to run, threaten, or fight. That is why staff are told not to risk their safety.’
Police Response and Legislative Hopes
Retailers report improving police attitudes toward shoplifting, previously criticized as decriminalized. Dickinson confirms progress, though challenges persist.
The upcoming Crime and Policing Bill aims to address this by eliminating the £200 threshold for low-level theft and creating a standalone offense for assaulting retail workers. These changes should ensure stricter recording, enforcement, and penalties.
Dickinson emphasizes, ‘Creating a standalone offense for assaulting a retail worker sends a clear signal: abuse is not part of the job.’ She highlights that retail crime burdens customers through higher prices for security and lost stock.
Path Forward for Safer Retail
Violence levels, now nearly four times pre-pandemic rates, underscore ongoing needs. Initiatives like Operation Pegasus and the Retail Crime Action Plan foster retailer-police collaboration. Dickinson concludes, ‘Falling violence shows what is possible when retailers, police, and government work together. Feeling safe at work should be a basic expectation for frontline staff.’
