Co-op boss calls for change in police response amid ‘out of control’ retail crime
Co-op food managing director, Matt Hood, has called on the police to “play their part” in tackling retail crime as rates surge 35% year on year.
The convenience retailer has said crime, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour has become “out of control,” with more than 175,000 incidents recorded in the first six months of 2023, which equates to almost 1,000 incidents a day.
Over the past year, frontline store workers have seen physcial assaults increase by 30% while anti-socal behaviour and verbal abuse has risen by 20%.
Co-op has warned that if this continues, some communities will become a ‘no-go’ area for local stores.
A Freedom of Information request by the retailer found that police failed to respond to 71% of serious retail crimes reported.
Hood said that he has seen “horrific incidents of brazen and violent theft” in Co-op stores, adding “it’s hard to over-emphasise how important urgent change is.”
Co-op has invested more than £200m in recent years in colleague and community safety, which equates to four times the average sector spend on security and safety measures per store.
As well as providing equipment such as body-worn cameras and communication headsets for frontline colleagues, Co-op has also recently started placing a reduced level of high-value products on shelves, instead displaying ‘dummy’ products.
Related news
Co-op Wholesale to double its private label range
Co-op Wholesale is investing GBP 800,000 in the UK to…
Read more >Sainsbury’s tea returns to Fairtrade label
The move is expected to generate over £1m ($1.34m) a…
Read more >Asda to open 25 new convenience stores by year-end
Asda is ramping up its push into the convenience sector,…
Read more >Related news
15 thousand people in Népliget: the 30th ALDI Women’s Running Gala was a celebration of women’s running
The first day of summer brought the biggest women’s running…
Read more >The foot-and-mouth disease epidemic is slowly ending, but a solution must be found to its economic effects
The foot-and-mouth disease epidemic affecting even-toed ungulates broke out in…
Read more >Viktor Orbán: we will introduce margin reduction for new products as well, if necessary
The margin regulation must be maintained because people must be…
Read more >