The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) is urging retailers to share their experiences of retail crime by taking part in its Annual Crime Survey for 2018.

The survey asks retailers to outline the number of criminal incidents they have experienced in their store over the past 12 months. This may include shop theft, robberies and anti-social incidents. The ACS will also considers the causes of these crimes and the measures retailers can take to prevent crime in their stores.

ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “Crime remains one of the biggest problems faced by local shops.  Every week we hear about violence and threats to the safety of retailers and staff, theft that hits profits and drives some stores to the edge of viability, and robberies that bring massive losses and disruption.

“Our crime survey gives us powerful information to make the best case we can for retailers to get the support they need from government and the police.  The results of the survey are shared directly with ministers and senior police officers and we need robust information to make the strongest case possible, so I urge every retailer to share their experiences of crime in their stores.”

Retailers can contribute to the annual survey here. The deadline for responses is 21 December.

The results of the annual survey will be published in the ACS’ Crime Report 2018, launching in March next year.

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