Every retailer that responded to the SGF’s 2022 Crime Report suffered some level of theft, abuse or violence in the previous year.
The biggest trigger for aggression and abuse continues to be the enforcement of age restrictions and challenging customers for proof of age, the reports finds. While 95% of retailers also reported experiencing some form of hate crime monthly.
The report also reveals that the annual cost of store crime for survey participants totalled £2.3m.
SGF Chief Executive, Pete Cheema, said: “Retailers and staff provide an essential community service, and it is completely unacceptable that they are forced to turn up to work and face threatening abuse or violence.
“We have taken great strides with the introduction of the Protection of Workers Act, which came in to force last August. Our report shows, however, that 100% of retailers are regularly affected by crime, seriously impacting the well-being of both workers and their families. Every incident is one too many.
“The evidence is clear that in-store crime remains shockingly high and until there is significant improvement to the figures we are seeing, the SGF will be calling for a zero-tolerance approach.”
