Trade associations welcome Labour's ‘tough stance’ on shoplifting

Measures announced by the new Labour Government to tackle shoplifting and antisocial behaviour towards retailers and their staff have been welcomed by trade associations representing the interests of retailers and independent High Street businesses.

A number of amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill were declared during the King’s Speech at the State Opening of Parliament, including:

• Steps to better protect vulnerable shop workers

• A clampdown on shoplifing

• A reversal of the £200 theft threshold

• The introduction of Respect Orders to discourage antisocial behaviour

• The creation of a new offence for assault against store staff

Having long advocated for greater police presence on the High Street and better legal protection for business owners and their employees, Bira CEO Andrew Goodacre says he is ‘particularly encouraged by the Government’s plan to make abuse of retail staff a standalone offence’, and calls it ‘a crucial next step in safeguarding our hardworking retailers and their teams’.

At Health Stores UK co-chair Len Glenville welcomes Labour’s plans, commenting: “The rising tide of retail crime in Britain has hit independent retailers disproportionately hard, with losses from shoplifting growing continuously. Combined with the ever present threat to store staff, the situation is now completely unacceptable. 

“We have heard just this week about the scale of the impact of shoplifting in our own sector, with Planet Organic reporting annual losses of £900,000 across its nine stores. For smaller, single-store businesses the effects can be devastating.

“We welcome measures in the Government’s Crime and Policing Bill, particularly the introduction of a specific offence of assaulting a shop worker and the scrapping of the so-called £200 rule, which treated thefts below that figure as low-value.

“We hope the new Bill will be accompanied by robust enforcement efforts. Everyone deserves to feel safe at work and for their businesses to be protected against criminals.”

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, adds: “The King’s Speech lays out the foundations for a more modern, dynamic British economy, and retailers look forward to playing their part in bringing this to life.  The breadth of the retail industry means that many of these bills impact retailers and their customers, and we look forward to working closely with Government to maximize the industry’s contribution.

“With over 1,300 incidents of violence and abuse a day against retail workers, there are millions of retail colleagues who will celebrate the creation of a new specific offence of assaulting a shop worker, announced as part of the Crime and Policing Bill. The Government must ensure this Bill protects all those in customer-facing roles, from delivery drivers to till staff. We also welcome the Bill’s introduction of stronger measures to tackle shoplifting and antisocial behaviour. This is a timely intervention at a time when retail crime is costing retailers and their customers £3.3 billion a year.”