Store staff will soon wear communication headsets to communicate quickly when incidents occur. Following a successful trial across its estate, the retailer is also now rolling out body cameras to the stores with the most significant crime issues, providing a visual deterrent for offenders and record of incidents. Poundland says it is working closely with local enforcement agencies and police forces to aid prosecution.
Shocking statistics from Usdaw’s annual survey show unacceptable levels of verbal abuse, threats and assaults against retail staff, primarily caused by theft from shops. Interim results from over 4,000 retail staff responses show that in the last twelve months:
- 69% have experienced verbal abuse.
- 45% were threatened by a customer.
- 17% were assaulted.
- 70% of these incidents were triggered by shoplifting and two-thirds of those were linked to addiction.
Bally Auluk – Usdaw national officer says: “It is shocking that over two-thirds of our members working in retail are suffering abuse from customers, with far too many subjected to threats and violence. Seven in ten of these incidents were triggered by theft from shops and it has become increasingly common for retail stores to be targeted by organised crime gangs stealing to order amid a retail crime epidemic. So, we welcome initiatives taken by employers like Poundland in tackling retail crime and helping to protect staff and we share their view that ‘enough is enough’.
“Usdaw’s Freedom from Fear campaign seeks to work with politicians, the police and retail employers to tackle violence and abuse against staff. We have won significant legislative changes from the Government, with a much-needed protection of shop workers’ law and an end to the indefensible £200 threshold for prosecuting shoplifters, which has effectively become an open invitation to retail criminals, to be introduced to Parliament shortly. The Government is also introducing town centre banning orders for repeat offenders and funding to tackle the organised criminals responsible for the increase in shoplifting, along with more uniformed officer patrols in shopping areas.
“It is our hope that these new measures will help give shop workers the respect they deserve and will add to the measures retailers are taking to tackle crime and keep staff safe.”
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is one of the fastest growing unions in the TUC and the UK's fifth biggest trade union with around 360,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades www.usdaw.org.uk
Interim results of the Usdaw’s 2024 survey, based on 4,073 responses, show that: 69% were verbally abused, 45% were threatened. 17% of shop workers had been assaulted. Of those who were abused, threatened or assaulted, 70% said that shoplifting was the trigger and their assessment of the underlying issues was 64% related to a drug and/or alcohol addiction. The final results of the survey will be published in March 2025.
Usdaw’s Freedom From Fear Campaign seeks to prevent violence, threats and abuse against workers by engaging the public, shop workers and the Government. www.usdaw.org.uk/Campaigns/Freedom-From-Fear
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on BlueSky @usdawunion.bsky.social and Twitter/X @UsdawUnion