Organised criminals are behind the recent surge in shoplifting and violence against shop workers, rather than individuals stealing to survive, the Co-op has told a parliamentary inquiry. Paul Gerrard, the grocery chain's public affairs director, said a 44 per cent rise in retail crime last year was driven mostly by gangs stealing to order at scale, sometimes clearing entire shelves with wheelie bins or builder's bags.
Gerrard described a level of violence unprecedented in retail, with staff threatened by knives, syringes, and even a medieval mace. He cited cases where colleagues lost an eye or miscarried after attacks, and said the retailer had helped staff relocate after being followed from stores. 'If one of my colleagues gets in the way, there will be a violent threat,' he told the House of Lords justice and home affairs committee.
The British Retail Consortium reported thefts more than doubled to 16.7 million incidents last year, while racial abuse, sexual harassment, and physical assaults rose 50 per cent. The rise coincides with record inflation and the expansion of self-checkouts, which retailers say has reduced staffing. Police often fail to attend even when private security detains suspects, the inquiry heard.
Professor Emmeline Taylor of the University of London described a 'tsunami' of retail crime, partly driven by poverty, mental health issues, and drug addiction. She noted that the 2014 reclassification of theft under £200 as a summary offence led many police forces to stop investigating such cases, with some offenders feeling they had a 'licence to steal' up to that limit. This has made some businesses unviable, creating 'food deserts'.
Operation Pegasus, a partnership of 15 large retailers sharing CCTV images with police, has had some success against cross-border organised crime. However, Taylor warned that prolific local offenders within criminal networks often fall through the net. She gave the example of a homeless drug addict housed by a woman who issued a 'shopping list' of items to steal, which were then sold to a network of online buyers. The Centre for Social Justice estimates 70 per cent of local organised criminals steal to fund drug habits.
