Interim figures from Usdaw’s latest annual survey of over 4,000 retail staff showed that 17% of retail workers suffered a violent attack last year, compared to 8% in 2022. Seven in 10 respondents said that incidents of violence, threats and abuse they’d experienced were triggered by theft or armed robbery.
Today the British Retail Consortium has published its annual crime report, which shows that: retail violence and abuse increased over 50% to more than 2,000 incidents a day in 2024, losses from customer theft reached a record £2.2 billion in 2023/24, and record crime levels were despite retailers spending £1.8 billion on prevention.
Paddy Lillis, Usdaw general secretary says: “The scale of the epidemic of retail crime is laid bare in these shocking police recorded crime statistics and the BRC report. Crime has a very direct impact on the viability of stores, as retailers go to increasing lengths and expense to make them secure and safe. Communities are blighted by anti-social behaviour and store closures. Staff are working in fear of the next incident of abuse, threats or violence.
“It is increasingly common for retail stores to be targeted by organised crime gangs stealing to order. This is in no way a victimless crime, with weapons and violence used to ensure these criminals are not stopped. Having to deal with repeated and persistent offences can cause issues beyond the theft itself, like anxiety, fear and physical harm to retail workers. Usdaw’s survey of over 4,000 retail workers found that 70% had suffered incidents of violence, threats and abuse that were triggered by theft and armed robbery. So this 23% increase in shoplifting is hugely concerning.
“We have campaigned along with the BRC and many retail employers for substantial legislative measures to combat this growing problem, and we are pleased that the Government will be introducing the Crime and Policing Bill, with measures to tackle this issue. We now look forward to a much-needed protection of retail workers’ law; ending the indefensible £200 threshold for prosecuting shoplifters, which has effectively become an open invitation to retail criminals; and funding for more uniformed officer patrols in shopping areas, along with Respect Orders for offenders. It is our hope that these new measures will help give retail workers the respect they deserve.”
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
Crime in England and Wales: Police Force Area data tables:
Interim results of the Usdaw’s 2024 survey, based on 4,073 responses, show that: 69% were verbally abused, 45% were threatened. 17% of retail workers had been assaulted. Of those who were abused, threatened or assaulted, 70% said that theft 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