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Investment in new security measures has led to significant falls in crime at Co-op stores, according to the movement’s latest annual crime survey.
Incidents of robbery and customer theft affecting Co-op stores fell during the year to January 2005 compared with the previous 12 months, according to the report.
The new figures showed a 21% drop in robberies and a 4% drop in incidents of customer theft (27,898 to 26,671). Resulting losses from customer theft fell by 32%.
The total number of retail crime incidents across 18 Co-operative societies, which between them have 2,972 retail food stores, fell by 4% from 34,528 during 2003/4 to 33,173.However, total recorded losses rose from £3.5m to £4.2m.
Incidents of violence against employees increased by 10%, but indications from the survey are that these cases are made up of mostly verbal rather than physical abuse.
Co-operative Group chief executive Martin Beaumont highlighted the innovative approaches that the Co-op movement had invested in, such as playing classical music outside stores and developing “cop shops” with local police, as major reasons for the fall in incidents of crime.
Beaumont said: “The fact that the number of incidents recorded by societies has decreased is a positive sign and demonstrates that all of the Co-operative movement’s efforts in combating retail crime are beginning to pay dividends. Working in partnership with police and other organisations is important.”
United Co-op is one of the societies that has invested heavily in security equipment such as tagging and white noise to cut shoplifting and robberies.
United Co-op group loss prevention manager Paul Winstanley said: “These results show that the investment we have made, the constant staff training and the schemes we have put into place are having an effect.”
Incidents of robbery and customer theft affecting Co-op stores fell during the year to January 2005 compared with the previous 12 months, according to the report.
The new figures showed a 21% drop in robberies and a 4% drop in incidents of customer theft (27,898 to 26,671). Resulting losses from customer theft fell by 32%.
The total number of retail crime incidents across 18 Co-operative societies, which between them have 2,972 retail food stores, fell by 4% from 34,528 during 2003/4 to 33,173.However, total recorded losses rose from £3.5m to £4.2m.
Incidents of violence against employees increased by 10%, but indications from the survey are that these cases are made up of mostly verbal rather than physical abuse.
Co-operative Group chief executive Martin Beaumont highlighted the innovative approaches that the Co-op movement had invested in, such as playing classical music outside stores and developing “cop shops” with local police, as major reasons for the fall in incidents of crime.
Beaumont said: “The fact that the number of incidents recorded by societies has decreased is a positive sign and demonstrates that all of the Co-operative movement’s efforts in combating retail crime are beginning to pay dividends. Working in partnership with police and other organisations is important.”
United Co-op is one of the societies that has invested heavily in security equipment such as tagging and white noise to cut shoplifting and robberies.
United Co-op group loss prevention manager Paul Winstanley said: “These results show that the investment we have made, the constant staff training and the schemes we have put into place are having an effect.”
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