The issues
Increased Retail Crime & Related Violence
THE ISSUE
Retail Crime is significantly impacting businesses by harming staff, affecting customers, disrupting operations and eroding profitability.
While major crime categories have been stable over the past few years, retail theft continues to increase. This has resulted in the following issues:
- 78% of retailers feel that verbal and/or physical abuse targeted at retailers and retail staff is increasing
- Over 85% of retail workers experience verbal or physical abuse while trying to prevent crime.
- 1 in 3 retail workers has been physically abused while trying to prevent theft
- During the height of COVID restrictions, trading retailers experienced increased crime and abuse
- If you were robbed, you'd report it. Retailers experience crime every day but only 10% report it
- Retail crime costs Australia over $9 billion every year
Did you know?
Retail crime costs Australian jobs and up to $9 billion every year, meaning prices go up for all of us
IMPACTS ON RETAIL WORKERS
Left under acknowledged and under addressed, these issues have had a significant impact on retailers and broader negative societal impacts.
These negative impacts include:
- Retail crime is view by society as "petty crime" against stuff, not people, but the real impacts are devastating
- Daily acts of aggression or violence frequently receive a lacklustre police response
- Theft, violence, stalking, threats, aggression, sexual harassment and handling drug-affected people are becoming the norm for retail workers and increasingly seen as a “part of the job”.
- Retailers have lost confidence that police will respond quickly or seriously to retail crime.
- Retail crime costs Australian jobs and forces many of our local businesses to close
- Increased retail crime is one of the reasons retail workers leave the profession
WHAT'S NEEDED
Crimes against retailers and their teams must be elevated to serious crime by government and law enforcement in order to reduce physical and mental harm, encourage workers to stay in the profession, and reduce costs on business.
- Retailers have lost confidence in police response to retail crime. Police need dedicated resources to combat this devastating issue.
- Retailers need more support to prevent crime and manage the serious impacts on their workers.
- Repeat retail crime offenders rarely face jail time. There should be zero tolerance for criminal behaviour, and harsher penalties for repeat offenders.
Australians Want Change
In 2020, the National Retail Association performed research with over 20,000 Australians to gauge public support for initiatives to improve the health and wellbeing of retail workers.
The study found that the majority of the Australian public agrees that leaders should consider harsher penalties to address retail crime.
Crimes against retailers and their teams must be elevated to serious crime by government and law enforcement in order to reduce physical and mental harm, encourage workers to stay in the profession, and reduce costs on business.
The National Retail Association is championing awareness and change to address issues impacting the health & wellbeing of retail workers.
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