The latest statistics show that assaults and threats against shop workers have risen threefold with workers falling victim to 42,000 violent incidents each year.

That’s 115 colleagues physically attacked every day, with many more verbally abused and threatened.

Estimates show that assaults and threats toward retail and wholesale staff are at their highest level yet – and about two-fifths (39%) of violent incidents result in injury.

The British Retail Consortium states that industry spend on crime control has reached a record level, having surpassed £1bn per annum for the first time. 

‘Retail crime’ is often ignored and somehow considered victimless. But we shouldn’t forget that behind each and every statistic is a person who has directly experienced violence or verbal abuse while simply doing their job.

Funded by the Co-op, new research has been undertaken by criminologist Dr Emmeline Taylor from City, University of London. In our report, Dr Taylor has, for the first-time, evidenced the impact and motivations of violence in the retail sector, which she describes as having reached “epidemic” proportions.

“The retail industry needs to show that it is categorically not a part of the job to be verbally abused, threatened or attacked in our stores”

Worryingly, knife attacks, being held to ransom with screwdrivers, threats of stabbing with a dirty needle, or falling victim to physical assault or abuse have all become commonplace.

More needs to be done to make a difference and bring about change to help retail colleagues feel safer at work – and to raise awareness of the verbal and physical abuse that shop workers can face on a daily basis.

We’ve shared the results of the research with the Government – it uncovers that this abuse is having lasting effects on the lives of workers, both mentally and physically.

We are now witnessing workers suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder – more commonly seen among those employed in emergency services – as well as a rise in people leaving retail jobs.

And, for the first time ever, the findings have shed light on some of the root causes of why people choose to carry out these acts.

The investigation identified four main scenarios in which violence and abuse are becoming prevalent: encountering shoplifters; enforcing legislation relating to the sale of age-restricted goods and other prohibited sales; hate-motivated incidents; and armed and unarmed robberies.

Staff challenging shop thieves is the number one trigger for violence and verbal abuse in the retail sector, accounting for one-in-four incidents.

Campaigning hard for change

At the Co-op, we’re continuing to invest in technology, equipment and training to make colleagues feel safer. Some of the recent trials we’ve done have had really great results and we’re currently rolling out our remote-monitored CCTV to more of our shops.

Last year, we launched our ‘Safer Colleagues, Safer Communities’ campaign, and we are working hard to raise awareness of the issue of violence and abuse against shop workers.

We’ll also be at the forthcoming political party conferences to press home the case for concerted action to stem the rising number of crimes against shop workers.

Our investigation calls on the Government to urgently protect retail employees – and to send a clear message that violence and verbal aggression will not be tolerated in shops.

But the retail industry needs to join forces to make sure this matter is taken seriously and to show that it is categorically not a part of the job to be verbally abused, threatened or attacked in any of our stores.

The challenge is for the industry, government and communities to work together to develop a way to tackle the root causes of violence, not just the symptoms.

That won’t happen overnight, but hundreds of thousands of shop workers deserve the right to go to work without the threat of abuse and violence. And for that reason, we must all lean in to make a difference.