As many as half of convenience stores and vape retailers in some areas are estimated to have links with organised crime, according to a Trading Standards report. Similarly, up to a third of American candy stores and one in four fast food takeaways in specific areas are suspected of being a front for criminal activity, the organisation’s Hidden In Plain Sight report said.
A survey by Trading Standards found that 97% of its officers are aware of suspected organised crime groups (OCGs) operating out of retail premises on their local high streets. There was also “almost universal recognition” – involving 99% of officers – that Trading Standards had seen an increase in the number of cash-intensive businesses opening on their local high streets since 2020.
Almost three quarters of Trading Standards professionals (72%) reported experiencing intimidatory behaviour or had been threatened with violence in the course of their duties. The report warned that budgets of Local Authority Trading Standards services had been cut by up to 50% over the last decade, with staffing stripped to minimum levels.
Dodgy shops had a “profound impact” on the safety of the public and the viability of the legitimate businesses around them, while putting the health of consumers, including children, at risk. These shops often brought with them associated criminality including anti-social behaviour, theft and violent crime, drug supply, modern slavery, and child sexual exploitation.
The report outlined a 10-point plan to “reclaim the UK’s high streets”, including investing in Trading Standards, making the sale of illegal goods a trigger for licence review, and an additional £20 million to bolster Trading Standards resources for ports and borders. Trading Standards has published a map of high streets across the UK for so-called dodgy shops, with Birmingham, Liverpool and London topping the list of hot spots.
