An eye-raising one in six Scots (17%) have witnessed verbal or physical abuse of shop staff in the last 12 months, the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) has revealed.
The abuse, which was uncovered via a BRC-Opinium survey of 205 Scots, included racial or sexual abuse, physical assault or threats with weapons.
The data also showed 19% of customers had witnessed shoplifting taking place while at a store in the last 12 months.
The release of these horrifying figures comes as the Scottish Grocers’ Federation revealed that almost 100% of retailers in Scotland claim shoplifting is happening daily, with rising levels of retail crime having devastating ramifications on the mental health of convenience store workers in Scotland.
What’s more, last month official data showed thefts from shops spiking by 18% last year to 43,000 incidents, which is more than 100 incidents a day.
Crime against retailers in Scotland costs tens of millions of pounds each year, through thefts and spending by stores on crime prevention measures such as CCTV, more security personnel, anti-theft devices and body worn cameras. The financial cost is significant, adding to the wider cost pressures retailers already face, and is ultimately paid by customers through higher prices and less convenient shopping.
Following representations from the Scottish Retail Consortium and others, the Scottish Government unveiled in its Budget that £3m would be set aside to combat crime against retailers.
David Lonsdale, Director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said:
“Abusive or violent behaviour towards shop staff is wholly and utterly unacceptable. These stark figures show that seeing such incidents of abuse or indeed theft have become an all-too-common part of the shopping experience for many Scots.
“While an incident can be over in a matter of seconds, it can have life-long consequences on those who experience it, making them think twice about visiting their local high streets. Despite better legal protections for shopworkers and record spending by retailers on crime prevention we know that criminals are becoming bolder and more aggressive.
“Decisive action is needed to get on top of this scourge and in particular to apprehend and deal firmly with persistent perpetrators. We’ve consistently called for tackling crime against retailers to be made a greater priority by the authorities. The Scottish Government’s new dedicated retail crime fund is an encouraging step and should assist. Retailers will hope to see this investment start to turn the tide in the coming months, and hopefully be sustained over the years ahead.”
