Crime in retail has gone through the roof so much so that the word shoplifting seems to diminish what is actually happening out there in the stores. Forced to do something to tackle the daily conflict with abusive offenders and prolific shoplifters, some retailers have found respite in technology, Asian Trader has learnt.
Walking-in and brazenly running out with several items in tow, filling bags with numerous products at ease and retaliating to retail staff when objected to, utterly fearless conduct, filming the act of store looting and aggressive mob behaviors are some of the things that are described by store owners across the country. None of them seems like a discreet harmless petty crime.
Retail thefts across the sector in England and Wales rose by 27 per cent in 2022, according to the retail trade body British Retail Consortium (BRC). In some major cities, the figure has shot up by as much as 68 per cent.
While numerous reports continue to expose the police inefficiency in this matter, it is no surprise that store owners are now taking things in their own hands to safeguard their businesses and the safety of themselves and their staff.
In the words of Dave Hiscutt, who handles five stores with two in Weymouth and one in Southampton, store owners and managers are now “forced to do something” as the situation has “gone too far the other way”.
“Shoplifters are essentially becoming invincible, because they keep getting away with it. We had people filling up baskets and running out of the door. We need to get this under control,” he said.
Police and law
Shoplifting offences have soared by a quarter this year, according to the Office for National Statistics though in the 12 months to March, the police recorded 339,206 cases of shoplifting despite the BRC estimating there were eight million incidents.
Minister of State for Crime, Policing and Fire Chris Philp has recently called on retailers to instruct their security guards to intervene when it is safe to do so and use the power of citizen arrest.
“Where it’s safe to do so I would encourage that to be used, because if you do just let people walk in and take stuff and walk out without proper challenge, including potentially a physical challenge, then it will just escalate,” Philp said at a recent fringe event hosted by the Policy Exchange think tank.
Meanwhile, National Police Chiefs' Council Lead for Acquisitive Crime, chief constable Amanda Blakeman, has assured Asian Trader that violent offences will never be tolerated.
“Retail crime has a damaging impact, and we are committed to tackling offenders and supporting retailers in reducing shoplifting and attacks on retail staff.
“We know that organised crime is responsible for a proportion of these offences and we welcome the collaboration between retailers, police and crime commissioners and policing through Project Pegasus which enhances our ability to identify and tackle the groups involved,” she said.
iStock image
Announced recently, Project Pegasus aims to crack down on shoplifting by identifying and targeting the organised crime gangs as part of government efforts to ensure all forces show zero tolerance. Under this, police forces will run each CCTV image of shoplifting offences provided by retailers through the Police National Database, which includes facial recognition technology.
Blakeman explained that centralising intelligence about organised retail crime enables police to target resources where they can be most effective.
“Alongside our close working with industry and government as part of a national task force, we are tackling the issue from all perspectives,” Blakeman said.
“Organised crime is of course only part of the problem and we continue to target those prolific and habitual offenders whose behaviour cause misery and takes profit from our communities and retailers.
Blakeman told Asian Trader that local police forces assess each report through a threat, harm and risk model to determine their police response and will deploy resources where they can be most effective in catching offenders and keeping people safe.
Pegasus will receive £600,000 from ten supermarkets and retailers including John Lewis, Co-op, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Next. Philp reportedly has also tasked police leaders with drawing up a target list of prolific shoplifters to create a national shoplifting database that can be circulated to retailers and police forces across the country.
Tackling through tech
To tackle similar menace on almost daily basis, Coventry-based One Stop Store retailer Aman Uppal has proactively joined hands with other store owners and managers in the area proactively, acknowledging that the police is “very overstretched and it has not got the means to respond and deal with every case”.
Uppal is a part of a 200-member-strong WhatsApp group in which members share information immediately if a shoplifter or a looter gang is out and about.
Retailer Aman Uppal
“This group was set up by a security guard about a year ago. The members are not just independent retailers, but also people who work for security in the in the city center, people who work security for places like Sainsbury's, Tesco, or at places like clothing shops.
“It's basically a very valuable tool to know not just locally, but also citywide on what is happening where and who is doing it. All the data is shared confidentially, and we don’t share the info beyond that group.
“I've had instances in the past where locally within one mile of my store, I came to know that there has been a major theft at a supermarket with intelligence shared about that person. And because I knew that my store is close by, I got alert and about 45 minutes later, I saw the same person, who had just committed a crime, walking into my store.
Since Uppal was extra vigilant, he was able to prevent something of the sort getting repeated in his store too.
“We have not gone to the stage of self-policing as in refusing entry to somebody whom we know has committed an offence at another store. We just get extra vigilant and keep more of a closer eye on that person,” Uppal told Asian Trader, adding that the WhatsApp group is working out very well for him as it covers approximately 15-mile radius of Coventry.
Hiscutt, on the other hand, has taken a wider digital leap to take matters completely in his own hands to tackle the rising cases of shoplifting and constant conflicts with thieves.
"Crime kept elevating. In our town centre store, the situation was becoming violent. We had to do something and that’s when we contacted Facewatch,” Hiscutt said.
Retailer Dave Hiscutt
A facial recognition retail security company, Facewatch sends its subscribers an immediate alert as soon as a subject of interest enters their premises.
“Now when someone comes and tries to steal and/or gets abusive with the staff, we log their face against the incident statement in explaining exactly what's happened. Next time when the same person comes in, Facewatch sends an alert, at which point, we then go up to them and politely ask them to leave explaining they are not welcome,” Hiscutt told Asian Trader.
By doing so, the store is able to avoid conflict much before the offenders have even selected the products, explained Hiscutt, pointing out that once a person picks an item, it becomes trickier as it leads to conflict while retrieving the goods.
As the offenders are now repeatedly being turned away at the point of entry, they have also reduced targeting Hiscutt’s store altogether, he said.
Apart from Facewatch, Hiscutt’s stores are also equipped with StaffSafe, a communicative intervention security solution through which trained operators keep eyes on store through CCTV and speak through speakers and if needed, taking control of threatening and potentially dangerous situations in real time, thereby reassuring and keeping staff safe, and alerting the emergency services where relevant.
Combining the two systems, Hiscutt explained how he has been able to deter prolific shoplifters from his store.
“When we get a Facewatch alert, my staff plays a pre-recorded message warning the shoplifters in the premises in a strict tone, saying ‘we condone shoplifting and will prosecute the offender’. This message is often enough to deter them without having to get the staff to interact.”
Shoplifters rely on the degree of 30 seconds of being undetected and flying under the radar. As soon as they become aware that their presence and intention are known, they just turn around and leave.
“In some abusive cases, a StaffSafe person from its monitoring centre in Scotland, who can see our store through our cameras, interacts with the person, who is causing the problem, with warnings like ‘your actions are completely unacceptable. Please leave the store now’,” Hiscutt explained, adding that “they will also call 909 for us and liaise with the police on our behalf”, if needed.
For extreme cases involving weapons or violent robbery, there are “silent alarms” that go off on wrist bands of the staff so that they can act accordingly and save themselves.
“The two systems side by side have reduced the level of conflict that we were experiencing in which in turn makes the staff feel happier,” he said, adding that some escalations still happen but StaffSafe helps to bring things under control.
Stating that Southern Co-op near his Southampton store also uses such services like Facewatch, Hiscutt stated, “We are all in the same boat.”
Umar Patel, Operations Director at Brookfield Retail, is completely satisfied with the results of Facewatch.
“Since the integration of Facewatch, it has swiftly brought to light a critical revelation—abuse incidents account for a significant 60 per cent of all reported incidents, reaffirming what we had suspected all along.
“Moreover, Facewatch provides valuable reporting insights like Thursdays are our most likely days for alerts, equipping us to alert our staff to exercise heightened vigilance on these days,” he says.
Head of operations at Facewatch Danielle Wright told Asian Trader that in the initial 12 months of system implementation, the solution has consistently demonstrated the ability to reduce crime by an impressive margin, typically ranging from 35 per cent to 50 per cent.
“Our cutting-edge cloud-based facial recognition system is meticulously designed to shield businesses from criminal activities, fostering a secure atmosphere for both customers and staff.”
StaffSafe spokesperson said that feedback from clients suggests that StaffSafe has had a dramatic effect on their business performance.
“Higher staff morale, less absenteeism, a more confident workforce, less stress, quicker return to work following an incident, higher staff retention and a reduction in recruiting and training costs has all been cited as direct benefits.
StaffSafe control room
“Client feedback has reported up to 50 per cent reduction in losses through theft from their stores since the installation of StaffSafe,” the StaffSafe spokesperson told Asian Trader.
Stop Crime
Retailer bodies like Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) have been campaigning on shop theft for several years, calling for tougher interventions to stop repeat offending, and urging elected Police and Crime Commissioners to make tackling theft a priority in their local plans.
The issue is now heating up and has become a political agenda with Labour promising to crackdown on crime and abuse through “tough new sentencing for assaults on retail workers”.
In the Labour Party Conference speech, Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper MP has also committed to remove £200 threshold for investigating incidents of theft, to bring in laws that will ban repeat offenders from town centres and high streets, and to introduce 13,000 more neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs to patrol the streets and make people feel safer.
Currently, the level of retail crime is clearly proving to be increasingly difficult for police to tackle immediately. Until police and law authority up their game to match with looters and shoplifting gangs, it is evident that retailers are left to tackle things on their own.
Some Brits believe that shoplifting can be acceptable, states a recent report, despite the country experiencing an epidemic of store thefts.
According to a recent YouGov poll of 2,150 adults, 40 per cent of the public agreed that shoplifting food was sometimes acceptable if a person could not afford the goods. More than half of those asked (51 per cent) said it was never acceptable.
About 20 per cent believed it was sometimes acceptable to steal clothes from a store if they could not afford them, with 72 per cent saying it should never be accepted.
This was despite the fact that nearly three-quarters of the public (73 per cent) believed shoplifting was a serious or fairly serious crime, while only a quarter (25 per cent) felt it was not very serious or not serious at all.
There was a distinct divide politically between acceptance of the crime. Only 20 per cent of Tory voters believed that food theft was acceptable if a person could not afford it, compared with 50 per cent of Labour voters and 44 per cent of Liberal Democrat supporters.
The staggering figures come as stores across the country are reporting two thefts a minute amid a growing shoplifting epidemic.
Industry body the British Retail Consortium's (BRC) annual crime survey found more than 20 million incidents of theft were committed in the year to 31 August 2024, which equates to 55,000 a day, costing retailers a total £2.2 billion.
There were 16 million incidents in the previous year.
The BRC said many more incidents in the latest period were linked to organised crime, with gangs systematically targeting stores across the country.
Commenting on the BRC's findings, Helen Dickinson said, "Retail crime is spiralling out of control. People in retail have been spat on, racially abused, and threatened with machetes.
"Every day this continues, criminals are getting bolder and more aggressive."
The BRC said the amount spent on crime prevention also hit a record high, with retailers investing £1.8 billion on measures such as CCTV, security personnel, anti-theft devices and body-worn cameras, up from £1.2 billion in 2022-23.
Shopper footfall received a welcome boost as many consumers hit the January sales in their local community, shows recent data, bringing a welcome news for high streets following a particularly difficult Golden Quarter to end 2024.
According to BRC-Sensormatic data released today (7), total UK footfall increased by 6.6 per cent in January (YoY), up from -2.2 per cent in December.
High Street footfall increased by 4.5 per cent in January (YoY), up from -2.7 per cent in December while retail park footfall increased by 7.9 per cent in January (YoY).
Shopping Centre footfall increased by 7.4 per cent in January (YoY), up from -3.3 per cent in December.
Footfall increased year-on-year in all four UK nations, with Wales improving by 8.5 per cent, England by 7.4 per cent, Northern Ireland by 3.5 per cent, while Scotland improved by 1.0 per cent.
Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said, "Shopper footfall received a welcome boost in January following a disappointing festive period.
"Store visits increased substantially in the first week of the month as many consumers hit the January sales in their local community, with shopping centres faring particularly well.
"Despite snowy weather and Storm Eowyn causing disruption in some areas, footfall was still positive across major UK cities over the whole month.
"Improved shopper traffic is welcome news for high streets following a particularly difficult ‘Golden Quarter’ to end 2024, and low consumer sentiment to start the year.
"Retailers want to invest more in stores and staff to enhance the shopping experience for customers and help to grow the economy, but the swathe of additional costs from April will limit investment and lead to job losses and higher prices at the tills. To drive growth in communities across the country, the government must ensure costs are limited in other areas.
"This can be done by delaying packaging taxes and ensuring that business rates reform leaves no shop paying more than they currently do."
Andy Sumpter, Retail Consultant EMEA for Sensormatic, commented, "After a dreary December, retailers will welcome January’s footfall jump.
"The uptick was boosted by a very strong Week 1, helped in part by New Year’s Day falling on a Wednesday, which may have prompted ambient store traffic as consumers bolted on additional days of leave, as well as retailers extending post-Christmas discounting well into January.
"Not even the significant disruption from Storm Eowyn was enough to dampen overall footfall performance. While welcome, after months of erratic and constrained footfall, the jury’s out as to whether January’s store performance signals the start of a sustained High Street revival or if it will be a flash in the pan come February.
"And, even if shopper traffic recovery has finally turned a corner, the challenge for retailers will be solving the next conundrum; how they balance enhanced footfall – which requires optimised store staffing to convert into sales – and the significant rises to labour costs borne out of the Budget on the one hand, with consumer appetite for discounts - a long-term margin-eroder - on the other, which will not be an easy circle to square."
Another report released on Thursday (6) stated that high streets need to optimise for midweek office workers as Brits return to office.
This marks the first annual increase in January footfall since 2016 (+1.2 per cent), outside of the pandemic period, suggesting that a stronger return to office work is driving retail visits as businesses push employees back to in-person work.
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New Ann Forshaw’s Milk Shed launches at SPAR Derwent in Keswick
SPAR Derwent in Keswick has become the latest store to introduce an Ann Forshaw’s Milk Shed, bringing fresh whole milk and delicious flavoured milkshakes to the local community.
The new Milk Shed follows successful launches at Ann Forshaw’s Alston Dairy and SPAR stores in Burnley and Milnthorpe.
The vending machine, open 24-hours-a-day, dispenses gently pasteurised, non-homogenised milk, available in 500ml (£1) and one-litre (£1.60) servings, with milk delivered daily from Alston Dairy at Longridge, near Preston, the home of the Ann Forshaw’s brand.
Milkshakes, priced at £1.80 for 500ml and £2.80 for one litre, come in Chocolate, Strawberry, Banana, Vanilla, and Salted Caramel flavours. A sixth Limited Edition flavour will always be on rotation to complement the core range – starting with Red Velvet for Valentine’s Day, and special edition glass bottles with love hearts on them will be available to purchase from the machine.
To celebrate February half-term, a retro throwback range featuring Cream Soda, Parma Violet, Cola, Lime, Candy Floss, and Mixed Berry will also be available.
Ann Forshaw’s Milk Shed at SPAR Derwent
All the milkshakes use natural flavourings and colourings where possible and do not contain the ‘Southampton Six’ food colours which have been found to have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.
Eco-conscious customers can opt for Milk Shed branded reusable glass bottles for plastic-free refills. Plus, recyclable cups and paper straws are available for a greener experience.
“Wherever we launch an Ann Forshaw’s Milk Shed, our SPAR customers love the concept, and we have high hopes that our latest launch will be lapped up by the community in Keswick,” Fiona Drummond, Company Stores Director at James Hall & Co. Ltd, said.
“There is nothing not to like about the product. The milk is competitively priced, and the milkshakes are a delicious treat and suitable for all ages with the conscious decision to utilise natural flavourings.”
There is more to come for SPAR customers in Cumbria this Spring with rollouts of Milk Sheds taking place soon at SPAR Bowness, SPAR Maryport, and SPAR Whitehaven.
Ann Forshaw’s and its associated Alston Dairy was acquired by the James Hall Group of Companies in December 2022.
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SPAR Cavehill raised funds for Community Fire & Rescue Service as part of former owner’s 70th birthday celebrations
Belfast’s SPAR Cavehill closed out 2024 with a heartwarming community celebration, marking the 70th birthday of former store owner Norman Porter while raising £800 for two local charities.
The event, organised by the store’s current owners, Frank Quigley and Norman’s daughter, Jenny Reilly, brought together staff, customers, and local residents to celebrate the milestone birthday and support SPAR’s charity partner, Marie Curie, as well as the Community Fire & Rescue Service.
Norman, who owned and operated SPAR Cavehill for over 40 years, remains an integral part of the store’s daily operations even after passing ownership to Jenny and longtime store manager Frank in 2015. His longstanding presence in the community made the occasion particularly special.
“It was important to me and the whole team to celebrate dad’s 70th birthday,” Reilly said. “Having owned and run SPAR Cavehill for over 40 years, he is a well-known and respected figure in the local community, so our shoppers were delighted to join in the celebrations and show their appreciation.”
The in-store birthday party featured cake, coffee, and treats in exchange for donations, while customers also had the opportunity to win prizes with the SPAR Spinner. Special guest Sammy SPAR made an appearance, adding to the festive atmosphere. Volunteers from the Community Fire & Rescue Service attended to thank shoppers for their support and raise awareness of their vital services. Additionally, the Dale Farm van stopped by to distribute ice lollies in return for contributions to Marie Curie.
“Being a hub in the community, it’s always been important to us to show our support, so it was a no brainer to mark my dad’s birthday by fundraising for two local charities,” Reilly added.
“The celebrations were a great success, and we were thrilled to see so many of our community coming together to show their support, helping us raise a total of £800 for Marie Curie and Community Fire & Rescue Service. I want to extend a huge thank you to our shoppers and our team at SPAR Cavehill.”
Expressing his gratitude, Norman Porter said: “Thank you to the team at SPAR Cavehill, our shoppers and whole community for celebrating my 70th birthday with me. It has been a privilege to serve the community for so many years and we have appreciated their ongoing support for the store. A special thank you goes to my daughter Jenny for making it a birthday to remember.”
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IQOS heat-not-burn device and a Marlboro cigarette pack
Philip Morris International (PMI) has forecast an increase of up to 12.5 per cent in adjusted diluted EPS for 2025, following a strong financial performance in 2024, driven by the continued expansion of its smoke-free product portfolio.
The company delivered a reported diluted EPS of $4.52 (£3.63), or $6.01 before a Canada non-cash impairment of $1.49, compared to $5.02 in 2023. Adjusted diluted EPS reached $6.57, representing growth of 9.3 per cent, and 15.6 per cent on a currency-neutral basis.
“2024 was a remarkable year for PMI,” said Jacek Olczak, PMI chief executive. “We delivered very strong full-year results driven by the continued growth of IQOS and ZYN in addition to a robust combustibles performance.”
Olczak highlighted the recent US FDA authorisation of all currently marketed ZYN nicotine pouches, calling it “further evidence of the compelling science supporting smoke-free products.” He also urged other countries to follow the US lead and embrace effective tobacco harm reduction measures, particularly where smoke-free alternatives are banned.
Quarterly shipments of heat-not-burn (HTU) and oral smoke-free products exceeded 40 billion units for the first time. Full-year net revenues for the Smoke-Free Business increased by 14.2 per cent (16.7 per cent organically), with gross profit up 18.7 per cent (22.7 per cent organically). Smoke-free products now account for 40 per cent of PMI's total net revenues and approximately 42 per cent of gross profit. The company estimates 38.6 million adult users of its smoke-free products.
IQOS continues to be a strong performer, strengthening its position as the second-largest nicotine ‘brand’ in markets where it is present. HTU adjusted in-market sales (IMS) volume was up an estimated 12.6 per cent for the full year. In Japan, ILUMA i fuelled IQOS growth, with adjusted IMS up around 13 per cent for both the full year and the fourth quarter. In Europe, IQOS HTU adjusted market share increased to 10.6 per cent in the fourth quarter. VEEV is also gaining traction as a top 3 pod brand in 13 European markets.
In the oral smoke-free products business, full-year shipment volume increased by nearly 28 per cent in cans (nearly 25 per cent in pouches). Fourth-quarter shipment volume increased by 25 per cent in cans (22 per cent in pouches), driven by ZYN nicotine pouch growth in the US.
Full-year net revenues grew by 4.0 per cent (5.9 per cent organically) in the combustibles business, primarily due to strong pricing.
For 2025 fiscal, PMI forecasts reported diluted EPS to be in the range of $6.55 to $6.68. Excluding adjustments, this reflects a 7.2 per cent to 9.1 per cent increase compared to 2024’s adjusted EPS of $6.57, or 10.5 per cent to 12.5 per cent growth on a currency-neutral basis.
The company anticipates total cigarette and smoke-free product shipment volume growth of up to 2 per cent, driven by smoke-free products. Net revenue growth is projected at around 6 per cent to 8 per cent on an organic basis.
“With strong momentum across all categories, we are confident that our smoke-free transformation and unparalleled brand portfolio will continue to deliver excellent performance and create value for our shareholders in 2025 and for the long term,” Olczak said.
The forecast assumes an estimated 1 per cent decline in international industry volume for cigarettes and HTUs (excluding China and the US), and an acceleration in US nicotine pouch shipment volume. It also factors in capital expenditures of approximately $1.5 billion, including further ZYN capacity investments in the US.