Retailers in the UK are losing millions of pounds to thefts. Organised crime gangs are considered to be driving this phenomenon, along with individual shoplifters. Nottinghamshire Police has seen a 36% increase in the incidence of shoplifting over the past 12 months until July 2023. According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC), the level of theft amounts to up to nearly £1bn a year. Lucy Brown, an Operations Director for John Lewis, has reported that retailers are being increasingly targeted, not only by criminal gangs but also by those leading “chaotic lives.”
Some retailers have claimed shoplifting is now becoming epidemic, but there is evidence that criminals perceive it to be a low-risk, high-reward endeavour. Recent moves by some Police Forces to not prioritise shoplifting offences have further exacerbated the situation. Against this backdrop, some shops are now recording individual customers’ purchases and videoing them.
It is not only the loss of products that damages retailers’ business, but also their impact on shopkeepers. One owner, Adrian Bhagat, runs a vegan business in the Nottinghamshire region, which has been repeatedly targeted by shoplifters. He asserts that shoplifters may assume they are “sticking it to the man,” but that he works hard for his income and is the one paying for the consequences of their actions.
A culture of theft raises concerns for the affected businesses and the police, who need to take a proactive approach to combat the issue. A Home Office spokesperson maintained that “shoplifting strikes at the heart of the British high street.” On the other hand, Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for acquisitive crime, says that “we[police]continue to target those prolific and habitual offenders whose behaviour causes misery and takes profit from our communities and retailers.
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