The Urgent Need for Action on Retail Crime

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) crime survey, published in May 2023, has revealed alarming statistics on the rise of violence and abuse towards retail colleagues. Incidents have nearly doubled on pre-pandemic levels, with 867 incidents occurring every day in 2021-22. Additionally, the scale of retail theft has reached £953m, despite retailers spending over £700m on crime prevention. The total cost of retail crime for the 12-month period to April 2023 was estimated at £1.76bn. These figures highlight a pressing issue that demands immediate attention.