Shoplifting - a retailer's perspective

Business crime is not a victimless offence. I know how much it can impact hardworking business owners and retail staff across Dorset and I want to assure you I take these incidents very seriously. Whether it’s shoplifting, anti-social behaviour, cyber-crime and fraud, commercial burglary, or violence against shop workers, I am firmly committed to tackling these offences, and keeping retail workers safe. I have made tackling these offences a feature of my Police and Crime Plan, commissioning my office to set-up the Dorset Safer Business Partnership (DSBP) to work with businesses, partners, and the police to develop strategies to deal with business crime.

I have also been pleased to see Dorset Police’s ‘Safer Christmas’ campaign focusing on business crime. With advice for retailers and shoppers alike, the campaign links in with Op Shopkeeper which targets prolific shoplifters who cause the most harm in our communities through theft. I fully support the force when they say people who perpetrate business crime can expect to be dealt with robustly. To echo their key message, Dorset is indeed open for business, but closed for crime.

Since I became your Police and Crime Commissioner, I have been out across the county speaking to business owners, representatives, and staff about these issues. I understand how damaging offences like shoplifting and abuse towards retail workers can be on you and your teams and, in turn, your livelihoods. Today, I would like to hand over my newsletter to Adam Vincent, from independent Stalbridge supermarket, Dike & Son, to talk about their experiences with shoplifting and how they’re tackling it.

“The situation has changed significantly over the past few years. It’s gone from one extreme to another. During Covid, shoplifting was at an all-time low. As well as the fact that fewer people were shopping in person, we had someone on the front door monitoring numbers in the shop and therefore there was less opportunity to steal.

“People were also not struggling with the cost-of-living crisis at that point either. Now, with the cost of mortgages, rents, bills and indeed essentials like food and fuel rocketing up, things are much different. As retailers, we’re suffering because of the higher prices – but also getting hit on the other side as a result.

“When it comes to your typical shoplifter, it’s not always the stereotypes you see in the media who are fuelling this rise in shoplifting, it’s others as well. Yes, the high value items like meat and alcohol are obvious targets, but we’re also seeing other people who you wouldn’t suspect at all. For example, recently we had someone come in very smartly dressed and steal some Mr Kipling slices. She took them from the box and dropped them in her bag. All in all, those items would have added up to £10. I am aware people are struggling and food banks are overrun, but this lady was driving a car newer than mine, wearing designer labels. The cost-of-living crisis has hit us all, but I think some people don’t want to have to tighten their belts despite all of us feeling the pinch, and in turn that leads to more of this sort of behaviour.

“This ties in with some of the other items we’re seeing stolen as well. It’s not just essentials but things like Brita water filters for example. They’re £20 a packet. It all supports what we’re seeing that there isn’t a stereotypical shoplifter anymore, certainly not here anyway.

“The rise in shoplifting incidents does have an impact on us. Not just on our finances but our staff. We’re a family business which has been running for more than 170 years and people don’t realise there are 85 people whose jobs rely on us. The rise in this type of crime does put more pressure on us. It has a massive impact on feeling safe at work but also the inconvenience these incidents cause to the everyday lives of our staff.

“In an effort to mitigate against shoplifting, we have more than 100 CCTV cameras which are monitored, as well as tagging systems and hidden security tags. We’ve got quite inventive over the years. And we’re now looking at other measures as well to boost our security.

“We do challenge perpetrators in store if we’re aware of it happening. I know a lot of places don’t and we don’t want to put our staff at risk, but we are in a unique position where the owners, the directors and the store manager who all feel passionately about the business are on site and want to stop this happening. There are occasions where we’re building up evidence and won’t challenge though. None of our staff are under any pressure to challenge and can always flag to a colleague instead.

“The police have only got so much time and so much resource, so we need to make it as easy as possible for them to help us. As retailers, we need to do everything we can as well. It’s in our own interests. If the police are not aware of a problem, or a growing trend, then they can’t do anything about it. If we say, ‘What’s the point?’ that’s not going to solve this. A solution won’t be immediate, but we need to show up for the police, in order for them to do the same for us.”

Thanks to Adam for his description of the challenges retailers are facing daily. As part of the Government’s recent Retail Crime Action Plan, a commitment has been made to prioritise attending shoplifting incidences involving violence against a shopworker, as well as where security guards have detained an offender or where attendance is needed to secure evidence. As part of this plan, police forces have also reaffirmed their pledge to follow-up on evidence that could reasonably lead to catching a perpetrator.

I welcome this plan, and locally, have recently supported businesses through my Business Crime Community Fund, giving grants to BIDs for up to £5,000 for initiatives to reduce business crime and abuse against shop workers. I take the responsibility of protecting businesses and the people who work for them very seriously and would urge everyone – from organisations to individuals - to work together as these issues can’t be solved through policing alone.

David Sidwick

Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner