Silent crime: Rising impact of shoplifting laid bare by Co-op group
The Co-operative Group has laid bare the rising impact of shoplifting as it said the cost of crime in its stores surged by nearly a fifth to £40 million in the first half of the year alone.
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The member-owned mutual has spent £18 million so far this year on measures to help protect staff in its food business, including rolling out body-worn cameras and fortified kiosks.
But despite this, it took a hit of £39.5 million from theft and fraud in its shops in the first half – up 19 per cent on a year earlier – even as it ramped up campaigning on the issue.
Matt Hood, managing director of Co-op Food, said: "It isn't going away.
"The reality is that every day four of our colleagues are attacked, up 34 per cent on 2022, and scarily a further 115 of my colleagues will be seriously abused, up 37 per cent on two years ago."
But he added: "The investments we are making are working – our colleagues feel safer and we're making them safer."
Co-op chief executive Shirine Khoury-Haq said she was delighted that the Government is set to change the law to make shoplifting a standalone offence, but the group said it needs to come into effect "as soon as possible".
Earlier this year, a persistent shoplifter was jailed after targeting the same Co-op store repeatedly.
