The British Retail Consortium has published its latest annual Retail Crime Survey which reveals the number of violent or abusive incidents – as well as the cost of crime to businesses – continues to rise.
According to the survey, there were 424 incidents of violence or abuse each day, up 9%, with spending on crime prevention increasing to £1.2bn. The cost to retailers from crime has now reached a staggering £1bn, which includes over £770m from customer theft.
Commenting on the findings, Scottish Retail Consortium Director David Lonsdale (pictured) said: “Incidents of abuse or violence towards retail employees is a growing problem, often triggered by shopworkers delivering what the State increasingly asks of them: enforcing an expanding range of age-restriction policies, refusing to serve intoxicated customers, or dealing with shop thieves.
“This abuse and violence is utterly deplorable. These are not victimless crimes, they can have a huge impact on the skilled, passionate and determined individuals who make our industry such a vibrant place to work, and comes despite record spending by retailers on crime prevention. That’s why here in Scotland we are urging MSPs to respond positively and get behind Daniel Johnson MSP’s Protection of Shopworkers Bill, to bring sentencing law into line with the reality on the ground.”
