Shop thieves have become increasingly brazen, with one in eight retailers witnessing offenders emptying shelves in plain sight daily - a type of theft called “kamikaze” shoplifting.
The data from workplace operations and improvement platform SafetyCulture found that a third of retailers see this tactic at least once a week, while more than half of retailers have seen it at least once.
The results highlight the “frequency of the current retail crime epidemic”, said SafetyCulture.
“It’s well-documented that there are tens of millions of incidents each year, but we must remember that behind these figures are people simply trying to do their job. Sadly, our findings show that the issue is unrelenting,” said Alex Brooks-Sykes, SafetyCulture’s lead for UK & Ireland.
“Thefts on this scale also have a serious business impact. Retail margins are already so thin, and any losses make it harder for retailers to invest in their growth.”
New government legislation is set to create a standalone prisonable offence for assaulting a retail worker, as well as treating shoplifting of goods worth less than £200 as a serious rather than summary offence.
“We believe new tech has an important role to play in safeguarding workers, such as training them how to manage incidents, capturing evidence for internal protocols and law enforcement, and giving both staff and employers peace of mind,” added Brooks-Sykes.
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