Nisa has urged authorities to provide better support for stores in the face of surging crime.
This year’s crime report by The Association of Convenience Stores revealed 87% of store employees have experienced verbal abuse, whilst there have been almost 9000 incidents of robbery of conveniences stores between 2022 and 2023.
A recent report by The Co-op Group found that retail crime has surged to record levels with repeat offenders and criminal gangs operating exempt from consequences.
Co-op has seen crime, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour jump 35% year-on-year, with more than 175,000 incidents recorded in the first six months of this year – almost 1,000 incidents every day.
The Co-op led report also highlighted that Police failed to respond in 71% of serious retail crimes reported with some, according to Police data, not responding to nine in ten serious incidents reported.
Victoria Lockie, Nisa’s head of retail, explained that every week their teams hear from retailers suffering from the ongoing challenge of shoplifting and the impact that is having both financially and on their wellbeing.
Lockie said: “This is particularly tough for independent retailers, many of whom are open longer hours and can’t afford to hire professional security. These horrific incidents have a long-lasting impact on businesses and a negative impact for the community overall.
“The recent Co-op led report on retail crime highlighted some significant challenges, with the appropriate authorities failing to respond in over 70% of serious retail crimes reported. If we are going to tackle this issue seriously, we need that number to be dramatically reduced so independent retailers can feel safe simply doing their job.”
Ben Selvaratnam, owner of Freshfields Market in Croydon and a family-run Nisa partnered store, admitted that shoplifting has become such an issue that they are targeted by three to ten thefts or attempted thefts a day. Financially this costs Ben and his family hundreds of pounds a week.
Ben said: “We are a small, family run business and we can’t afford to hire separate security. We don’t make enough money to do that. We are in a very competitive high street town centre. It’s just very tough for us just to survive so this does have a massive impact. We now watch the CCTV at all times. We’re trying to manage a situation where we’re almost getting swamped.
“So many people would just say I don’t need this in my life. Why would I work so hard, take so much risk and try and make a living when someone can just walk in at the end of the day and take all the money I’ve earned and walk out with it and there will be no consequences for them?”
The retailer said that they have noticed more people than you would not expect to shoplift before. Ben explained that it ranges from good people who have maybe fallen on hard times to older people who normally steal tins of fish, fresh meat, spam or corned beef.
“They aren’t violent and once they have been confronted they hand it over and leave quietly. Then there are those with drug addictions who steal things like coffee, honey, razor blades and tea bags. They are generally more violent when confronted. Then there are youngsters or teenagers riding around on cycles who generally steal what they need if they are hungry or they want a drink. They will come in and take what they want.”
The store catches thieves by having one member of staff to constantly monitor the store’s CCTV and have a policy of confronting them. They position items at the front of the shelves facing forward meaning they know instantly if items are missing.
They’ve also reduced their opening hours from 8.30am to 9pm instead of 11pm after they noticed a spike in incidents late at night.
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