A new crime survey has revealed that over three quarters of retailers report that retail crime has directly affected the mental health of staff members, with the problem so severe it amounts to “a public safety emergency”.
The Scottish Grocers’ Federation is calling for urgent government intervention after its annual crime survey saw 77.8% of stores report that staff have experienced wellbeing issues as a result of crime, while a similar proportion (78.3%) say violence against staff is increasing.
The SGF is calling for the Scottish government to intervene, and says that for retail workers, “going to work now means putting their personal safety on the line”.
The organisation’s annual crime survey, which saw 732 stores polled, also found that 54.8% of convenience stores consider shoplifting is on the up, with almost all (99.6%) saying theft occurs every day, costing each shop £10,431 a year on average.
Dr Pete Cheema, SGF’s chief executive, says that “assaults, stabbings, spitting, threats, and relentless abuse have become an all-too-common part of daily life on the shop floor.”
He added that retail crime is “spiralling out of control” and that “every indicator is moving in the wrong direction” causing “profound” damage to staff, companies and local communities.
Cheema described the issue as “a public safety emergency hiding in plain sight”, and said “retailers urgently need support”.
He warned, however: “The police and courts are overwhelmed, and many crimes go unreported because retailers lack confidence that action will be taken. Offenders know they are unlikely to face consequences, and even when arrests are made, cases can take years to reach conviction.”
