The Federation of Independent Retailers (NFRN) has said smaller retailers need financial support from the government to help protect them against rising violent crime.
The Co-op recently spent £140m to improve security in its stores in a bid to protect staff from an increasing number of physical attacks.
The NFRN said that, for most independent retailers, the cost of updating CCTV and other security systems is prohibitive.
The trade association’s National President Stuart Reddish commented: “Shop workers have been more vulnerable to mistreatment and abuse throughout the course of the pandemic, particularly given they have had to enforce social distancing and the wearing of face masks.
“Despite this increased risk, the current security systems of small retailers are not always sufficient to capture occurrences or the extent of crime in their stores. As a result, shop owners, workers and customers are being left vulnerable and unsafe.
“Shop owners and workers have worked in direct contact with the public under extremely challenging circumstances during the pandemic, and small retailers are important aspects of the community within which they trade.
“We are calling on the government to introduce financial support to help retailers cover the costs of upgrading their CCTV security systems, so that they are able to sufficiently capture evidence of any violations of the law in their stores and can provide maximum protection for their staff and customers alike.”
