With shoplifting soaring across England and Wales last year amid a cost of living crisis, retail workers have told Mersey News Live that they are feeling the effects.
Police in England and Wales recorded more than half a million shoplifting offences last year an increase of around 20% compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, nearly a quarter (23%) of customers have witnessed physical or verbal abuse of retail workers, including threats and assaults whilst shoplifting takes place.
New Merseyside Police Chief Constable Rob Carden said that tackling the issue of shoplifting and abuse of shop workers would be a priority for his force.
In the meantime, however, retail staff have said that they have noticed a spike in thefts and it is affecting their working lives.
One said that theft is no longer an occasional problem as it sometimes happens several times within the space of a few hours when they are on shift.
While some items that are being taken are everyday essentials such as food and toiletries, many staff report that products like chocolate and steak are also often targeted because they are easy to sell on.
A retail worker who works in Tesco in Liverpool, who asked to remain anonymous, said the situation has become increasingly stressful.
She said: “When theft goes up, so does prices, hours get cut, and the whole community feels it. Most people are trying to get by but frontline workers like myself, do end up carrying a lot of the stress.”
She also said that even though there has been a rise in theft, security guards are not always present.
“You’re expected to keep an eye out and confront people about it, but we aren’t security and the majority of the time there isn’t even a security guard in.” She added: “If something does kick off and you’re just stood there just on your own, it can be frightening because people can become violent.”
Late last year, Merseyside’s Chief Constable Rob Carden told Mersey News Live that the types of items that are being stolen from shops, point to wide
r economic pressures.
He said: “If you look at the things being stolen in shoplifting, there are lots of portable goods but also perishable goods. That’s almost indicative of austerity and the challenges people are facing.”
He added that while Merseyside Police do recognise the pressures many people across the region are under, theft and abuse towards shopworkers will not be tolerated under any circumstances, and officers are continuing to work closely with retailers to prevent offences and support anyone affected by shoplifting.
