Nearly a quarter (24%) of the UK population witnessed shoplifting taking place while at a shop in the last 12 months, new data shows.

According to the latest British Retail Consortium (BRC)-Opinium survey, 23% of customers have witnessed the physical or verbal abuse of shop staff, including racial or sexual abuse, physical assault or threats with weapons.

Last year, there were 20 million incidents of theft, while reported incidents of violence and abuse climbed to over 2,000 per day.

Separately, trade union Usdaw produced its own survey which found that 77% of retail staff experienced abuse, 53% suffered threats and 10% were victims of assault.

Subscribe to Grocery Gazette for free

Sign up here to get the latest grocery and food news each morning

Meanwhile, crime cost retailers £4.2bn last year, including £2.2bn from shoplifting and a further £1.8bn spent on crime prevention measures such as CCTV, more security personnel, anti-theft devices and body worn cameras.

The government is taking action to address retail crime through the new Crime and Policing Bill, which includes a standalone offence which will improve the visibility of violence so that police can allocate appropriate resources to the challenge.

It also seeks to remove the £200 threshold of ‘low level’ theft, which the BRC said will send a clear signal that all shoplifting is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

However, the trade association is urging for the Bill to go further and protect all retail staff working in customer facing roles, including delivery drivers, as the Workers Protection Act does in Scotland.

Last month, Morrisons was among 30 UK restaurants and supermarket groups that wrote to the Home Secretary, calling for greater protection for delivery riders as part of Deliveroo’s ‘Right to Ride Safely’ campaign, which launched in November 2024.

BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “Seeing incidents of theft or abuse has become an all-too-common part of the shopping experience for many people. While an incident can be over in a matter of seconds, it can have life-long consequences on those who experience it, making them think twice about visiting their local high streets. Criminals are becoming bolder and more aggressive, and decisive action is needed to put an end to it.

“The Crime and Policing Bill is a crucial step in providing additional protections to retail workers. However, in its current proposed form, it does not afford all retail workers the same protections as those working in Scotland, where delivery drivers are also protected. The Bill must protect everyone in customer facing roles in the industry.”