Retailers turn to tech as in-store crime soars | Computer Weekly

"Sainsbury's CEO Simon Roberts, Wickes chief David Wood, and Fortnum & Mason boss Tom Athron were among the executives to sign an open letter in August calling on the government to legislate to better protect service workers. Headline signatory Jo Causon, CEO of the Institute of Customer Service (ICS), and her co-signatories from retail, hospitality and adjacent sectors, want the Crime and Policing Bill currently moving through Parliament to protect all public-facing workers."

"ICS data from January shows 42% of customer service staff across every sector experienced abuse in the prior six months, up 19% compared to a similar study the institute published in March 2024. Some 37% of workers surveyed said they had considered leaving their role due to hostility, and a quarter of them have taken sick leave as a result. It's not just a problem with personal consequences, it's a business continuity issue as well."

"And the British Retail Consortium (BRC) reported in March nearly a quarter of UK consumers had witnessed shoplifting taking place in the previous 12 months, and 23% of customers had experienced physical or verbal abuse of staff, with some incidents involving weapons.BRC's annual crime survey, released in January, showed retail crime resulted in record losses of £2.2bn in 2024, with the 2,000-plus incidents of violence and abuse more than three times the level recorded in 2020."

Executives from major retail and hospitality companies urged legal protection for all public-facing workers through expansion of the Crime and Policing Bill beyond current retail assault provisions. Institute of Customer Service data from January shows 42% of customer service staff experienced abuse in the prior six months, a 19% rise versus a March 2024 study. Thirty-seven percent of workers considered leaving due to hostility and 25% took sick leave. The British Retail Consortium recorded record retail crime losses of £2.2bn in 2024 and over 2,000 violent or abusive incidents. Retailers are adopting body-worn cameras to deter offenders and protect staff.

Read at ComputerWeekly.com