Retail crime continues to place growing pressure on retailers and security teams, with new research suggesting frustrated shoppers are increasingly stepping in to support frontline staff facing theft, abuse and violence.
According to data from SAI Group, more than six in 10 consumers (61%) say they have noticed an increase in retail crime over the past 12 months, while 76% believe incidents of shoplifting and abuse will rise further during the year ahead.
The findings come as retailers continue to grapple with significant levels of crime. The British Retail Consortium estimates that 5.5 million shoplifting incidents occurred last year, costing the industry around £400 million, while retail workers faced approximately 1,600 incidents of violence and abuse every day.
The research suggests growing public concern is prompting customers to take matters into their own hands. More than a third (36%) of shoppers say they have intervened to support retail staff facing physical abuse from customers, rising to 54% among Millennials. Meanwhile, 43% have stepped in during incidents of verbal abuse.
Perhaps most concerning for security professionals, one in three consumers (33%) claim to have physically apprehended a suspected shoplifter themselves when store staff were unable to intervene. Among Gen Z consumers, that figure rises to 49%.
The trend emerges despite recent changes to the Crime and Policing Act, which introduced tougher penalties for shoplifting and stronger protections for retail workers. However, confidence in the legislation appears limited, with 68% of consumers believing stricter punishments alone will not significantly reduce retail crime.
The findings highlight the risks associated with relying on reactive responses to criminal activity. Customer intervention can create additional safety, liability and escalation concerns for retailers, particularly when untrained individuals become involved in incidents.
Som Sinha, CEO of SAI Group, said retailers must move beyond reactive security measures and focus on preventing incidents before they escalate.
“Stores need systems in place not just to protect workers when crime happens, but to proactively prevent instances of crime taking place in the first place,” he said.
The findings are likely to strengthen calls for greater investment in real-time intelligence, AI-powered surveillance and proactive loss prevention technologies as retailers seek to improve safety for both employees and customers.
Photo by Ridhwan Nordin on Unsplash
