Retail crime in the UK has escalated to unprecedented levels, according to the British Retail Consortium's (BRC) latest Annual Crime Survey. The findings reveal a dramatic rise in violence, abuse, and theft, with over 2,000 incidents of violence and abuse reported daily in 2023/24—more than a 50% increase from the previous year.
The figures mark a sharp surge from pre-pandemic levels, with retail workers facing racial and sexual abuse, physical assaults, and threats involving weapons. Reports indicate that 70 violent incidents per day now involve a weapon, more than doubling from the previous year.
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Theft has also soared, with over 20 million incidents recorded, costing retailers an estimated £2.2 billion, a significant increase from the previous year. Organised crime groups have played a key role in this rise, systematically targeting stores and stealing goods worth tens of thousands of pounds. In response, retailers have significantly ramped up their investment in security measures, spending £1.8 billion on deterrents such as CCTV, security personnel, and body-worn cameras. Despite these efforts, confidence in police action remains low, with 61% of retailers rating police response as "poor" or "very poor."
The Labour Government has pledged to take a tougher stance on retail crime, including the removal of the £200 threshold that categorised some theft as "low-level" and introducing a specific offence for assaulting retail workers.
Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: 'Retail crime is spiralling out of control. People in retail have been spat on, racially abused, and threatened with machetes. Every day this continues, criminals are getting bolder and more aggressive. We owe it to the three million hard-working people working in retail to bring the epidemic of crime to heel. No one should go to work in fear.'
Chris Brook-Carter, Chief Executive of retail industry charity the Retail Trust, said: 'Almost half of the retail workers we've surveyed told us they currently fear for their safety and nearly two thirds are stressed and anxious going to work due to this unacceptable level of retail crime. People are contacting our helpline in their thousands to report horrifying incidents of abuse and violence and many say that they are now at breaking point.'
More information;
British Retail Consortium (BRC)
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www.brc.org.uk