Almost half (47%) of retail workers have admitted to feeling unsafe at work as the crime epidemic continues.
According to new research from The Retail Trust, two in five workers from over 200 retailers including Tesco, Co-op and John Lewis are shouted at, spat on, threatened or hit every week.
As a result, 66% feel anxious or stressed about going into work and 42% are considering quitting their jobs or leaving retail.
When considering the reasons behind the rise in retail crime, over half (56%) said the rising cost of living was to blame while 64% said confronting a shoplifter had caused abuse.
Two thirds want stricter penalties for customers who abuse shop staff and a third believe police should be taking more action.
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Last month, the government unveiled a plan that will see a new Organised Retail Crime capability formed within the Operation Opal unit, funded by Project Pegasus – a partnership between 13 retailers including John Lewis, Co-op, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose.
This will see a new dedicated intelligence team created, with retailers trained on what information and intelligence to share with policing.
Facial recognition software will also be used across the public and private sectors.
However, Co-op has warned that actions must speak louder than words for the retail crime epidemic to end as managing director Matt Hood said we “urgently need to see it in action in our stores, so the desperate calls to the police from my front line colleagues are responded to”.
Co-op director of public affairs Paul Gerrard added: “Crime in many communities is increasing, and it is known that repeat and prolific offenders and local organised criminal gangs are driving serious incidents of brazen and violent theft in stores.
“Co-op continues to invest significantly in keeping colleagues and stores safe, as we know this isn’t a victimless crime, as my store colleagues who have been verbally abused and had knives and syringes pulled on them can vouch for.
“Respecting the shop workers who are just doing their job, serving our communities every day, is a simple but extremely important common courtesy.”
