BRC reveals quarter of UK population have witnessed shoplifting in last 12 months

Almost a quarter of the UK population (24%) – equating to over 16 million people - have witnessed shoplifting taking place in the last 12 months.

Nottingham, where 32% of the population have witnessed shoplifting first-hand, ranked the worst, with London following close behind at 29%, then Southampton (28%), Leeds (26%) and Manchester (25%). Meanwhile, Plymouth and Belfast saw the least at 12% and 13%, respectively.

That’s according to the latest data revealed by a British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Opinium survey, which also shows 23% of customers have witnessed physical or verbal abuse of shop staff, including racial or sexual abuse, physical assault or threats with weapons.

When it comes to abuse, customers in London witnessed the most incidents of a physical or verbal nature at 30%. Nottingham and Liverpool were second at 29%, with Manchester at 27% of customers.

The research comes as the UK experiences record levels of retail crime with 20 million incidents of theft last year, and incidents of violence and abuse climbing to over 2,000 per day.

Helen Dickinson, CEO of the British Retail Consortium, said: "Seeing incidents of theft or abuse has become an all too common part of the shopping experience for many people. While an incident can be over in a matter of seconds, it can have life-long consequences on those who experience it, making them think twice about visiting their local high streets.

"Criminals are becoming bolder and more aggressive, and decisive action is needed to put an end to it. The Crime and Policing Bill is a crucial step in providing additional protections to retail workers.

"However, in its current proposed form, it does not afford all retail workers the same protections as those working in Scotland, where delivery drivers are also protected. The Bill must protect everyone in customer facing roles in the industry."

Separately, shopworkers’ union Usdaw has produced its own survey showing 77% of retail staff experiencing abuse, with 53% receiving threats and 10% assaults. Those incidents are not restricted to those working in stores, as delivery drivers are also often subjected to abuse, physical violence and threats with weapons.

Crime costs retailers in the region of £4.2 billion last year. That included £2.2 billion from shoplifting and another £1.2 billion spent on crime prevention such as CCTV, more security personnel, anti-theft devices and body worn cameras.

Those costs add to the wider cost pressures retailers already face, further limiting investment and pushing up prices for customers.