Shoplifting has long been one of the biggest challenges facing the retail sector. But recent trends have made this a more pressing concern than ever. With the current situation being described as an ‘epidemic’ in some quarters, what do stores need to do to keep their workforce and their goods safe from crime?
The rising challenge of shoplifting
The last year has seen the retail sector facing a surge in crime, with shoplifting incidents up by almost 20 per cent, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). Its annual crime survey found there were over 55,000 thefts every day from stores in the UK in 2023/24, costing a total of £2.2 billion, up from £1.8 billion the previous year.
Meanwhile, figures from the Office for National Statistics suggest that shoplifting crime reached a 20-year high last year, with a total of 467,788 incidents logged by police in England and Wales. This was a 29 per cent increase on the previous 12 months and marked the highest figures since the organisation began recording such incidents in 2003.
Shoplifting is also increasingly not committed by individual opportunists. The BRC noted that many of these incidents are the result of dedicated gangs, who systematically target stores and rotate their targets constantly. As a result, in some cases, they can steal tens of thousands of pounds worth of goods at a time.
Gangs are highly-organised and increasingly bold in their approach. Although the majority of offences use tactics such as concealing items in bags or clothing or abusing self-checkouts, BBC News has reported a rise in so-called ‘kamikaze’ offences‘, where groups of criminals clear entire shelves of goods in open view of staff and customers.
The role of modern security technology in stopping shoplifting
With this rising challenge, it is not surprising that stores are investing more heavily in new technology in order to combat this issue. The BRC found that retailers spent £1.8 billion on anti-crime measures in 2023/24, up from £1.2 billion the previous year.
Common investments included CCTV systems, additional security personnel, anti-theft devices and body-worn cameras. These can all play an important role in reducing shoplifting by acting as a visible deterrent.
Newer technology can greatly improve detection. For example, advanced cameras at self-checkouts can use artificial intelligence to detect when items have not been scanned, or have had tags switched, while facial recognition scanners can identify known offenders and alert security.
Essential security measures for retailers
Advanced technology needs to be integrated as just one element of a comprehensive retail security system in order to deter criminals and protect both employees and products. Essential measures that must be a part of this include:
- High-quality surveillance cameras: these should provide full 24/7 monitoring of every square foot of retail space. Expert installers like SECOM can help with this by advising how CCTV solutions can be tailored for any unusual layouts to eliminate blind spots.
- Access control: managing entry and exits to stores and backroom warehouses with access control systems that include gates, sensors and manned security helps protect high-value items.
- Alarms: Clear alerts when suspicious behaviour is detected or when shoplifters attempt to leave with tagged items help security staff identify offenders.
The cost of shoplifting to businesses
Between the direct losses caused by shoplifting and the expenses related to preventative measures like CCTV systems and manned security, the BRC estimates the total cost of shoplifting to the UK retail sector as £4.2 billion a year. However, this only covers the immediate financial losses.
Prevention and recovery measures also put great strain on business’ resources. Dealing with shoplifting takes time and effort many stores do not have, especially when businesses feel they are not getting the support they need from the police. Indeed, more than six out of ten retailers (61 per cent) rated police responses to retail crime – which also includes physical assault, verbal abuse and other harassment of workers – as poor.
This can leave many employees also feeling unsafe at work, damaging wellbeing and morale. For instance, industry charity the Retail Trust claimed that two-thirds of employees feel stressed and anxious going to work due to high levels of retail crime.
Staff training: the human element in shoplifting prevention
While advanced technology can go a long way in helping clamp down on shoplifting, this cannot work without the help of staff members. Individuals on the shop floor and those watching CCTV feeds need to know what behaviours to look out for. Developing a culture of vigilance requires ongoing training and for everyone to understand the importance of tackling shoplifting.
Key areas to bear in mind include:
- Developing both initial training for new hires and refreshers for existing staff
- Education on how to correctly use solutions such as security tags
- Understanding which products or areas of the store are at highest risk
- Identifying shoplifting in progress and how to make reports
- Knowing what not to do – eg, many stores want to discourage staff from engaging directly with shoplifters for safety reasons
Community collaboration and law Enforcement aupport
It’s important to remember that shoplifting is a problem for the entire retail industry, so it pays to work together. Collaborating with neighbouring businesses and community watch schemes can go a long way towards helping cut down on incidents.
Sharing information and watching out for each other can provide an extra level of reassurance beyond what technology can provide. Fostering good relations with community police officers to ensure there is a visible presence as often as possible also helps act as a deterrent.
While there’s no substitute for strong community relations and effective employee training, giving staff members the support for advanced technology such as high-quality CCTV and AI-powered analytics is vital. This gives retailers the tools they need to tackle one of the biggest problems facing the sector today, protect their workforce and minimise shrinkage.
Get in touch with SECOM to learn more about how our retail solutions keep your stores safe from shoplifters.