Lioncroft Wholesale chief executive Dr Jason Wouhra OBE has urged convenience store owners to take action and report all retail crime to the police.
In an open letter, the Unitas chairman highlights national statistics as well as the figures of his local West Midlands Police force, which has reported a 60% increase in suspected shop theft arrests over the past two years, thanks to changes made to its police model and call handling systems.
Read more: Working Together: SBF GB&I and Lioncroft Wholesale
“The figures from the Crime Survey for England and Wales make terrifying reading, revealing that retail theft continues to increase, and it highlights how the convenience channel is fast approaching crisis point,” he said. “In the past year alone, more than 6.2 million incidents of shoplifting were recorded by convenience stores according to the Association of Convenience Stores, costing retailers more than £2.2 billion.”
“While some may view shoplifting as a victimless crime, in the wholesale and retail sector, we know this couldn’t be further from the truth. Not only does retail theft often lead to violence and abuse towards retail staff, but family-run retail businesses are already under incredible pressure to meet rising costs simply to open their stores and stock their shelves, and they cannot continue to absorb these losses,” he added.
