Violence and abuse against store workers has fallen by a fifth over the past year, but retail leaders say crime rates remain far higher than before the pandemic and continue to pose a serious threat to staff safety.
New figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Sensormatic Solutions show there were 1,600 daily incidents of violence and abuse against retail workers in 2024/25, up from 2,000 daily incidents the previous year. This corresponds to around 590,000 incidents per year.
Despite the improvement, the BRC warned that the rate remained the second highest on record and well above the pre-pandemic average of 455 incidents per day.
Physical violence showed little change, remaining at 118 incidents per day, including 36 incidents per day involving a weapon.
The data also shows that there were 5.5 million shoplifting incidents last year, costing retailers almost £400 million. The actual total is likely to be significantly higher because many thefts go undetected.
For the first time, the report included parcel delivery theft, which cost retailers more than £100 million in 2024/25.
Industry leaders say organized criminal gangs are increasingly targeting high-value goods that can be easily resold and are carrying out systematic thefts from multiple stores.
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC, said reducing violence was “hard won” but warned that theft and abuse remained widespread. “No one should go to work out of fear for their safety,” she said.
The Government’s forthcoming Crime and Policing Bill will introduce a specific offense for assaulting a retail worker, while abolishing the £200 limit which previously limited the police response to low-value shoplifting.
Sarah Jones said the Government was committed to tackling retail crime, pointing to a 21 per cent rise in shoplifting charges.
The legislation comes amid wider concerns about the viability of main roads. Retailers are also struggling with rising employment costs, including higher social security contributions and increases in the nationwide living wage.
Usdaw general secretary Joanne Thomas said that while the decline in incidents was encouraging, retail workers still faced unacceptable risks. According to union data, two-thirds of attacks on employees are triggered by theft or armed robbery.
According to the BRC, retailers have spent more than £5 billion on security measures in the last five years, including CCTV systems and additional staff.
Despite the slight improvement, activists and unions argue that violence and theft continue to reach crisis levels, with many shop workers reporting increased stress and anxiety about commuting to work.
