M&S retail director calls for more action on retail crime and abuse of staff
Marks & Spencer’s retail director has called for stronger action on retail crime following a series of incidents involving shoplifting and violence in its stores.
Thinus Keeve has also called for the police to be given more resources to tackle retail crime effectively as it becomes “more brazen, more organised and more aggressive”.
Subscribe to TRBWriting in The Telegraph, Keeve said: “I keep hearing crime is falling, especially in London – something none of us believe and very few people working in retail would see.
“In fact, we see the absolute opposite in our high streets and in our stores, where our colleagues are on the receiving end of abuse and violence in their workplace every day.”
There were around 5.5 million incidents of shoplifting last year, according to industry figures, and more than 1,600 retail workers face violence or abuse every day.
Giving examples of incidents in M&S stores, Keeve said: “In the past week alone we have had gangs forcing open locked cabinets and stripping shelves, two men brazenly emptying the shelves of steak and walking out, a large group of young people ransacking a store before assaulting a security guard, a colleague headbutted trying to defuse a situation and another hospitalised after having ammonia thrown in their face.”
He added: “Our colleagues come to work to serve customers, build relationships and take pride in what they do. Instead, too many are dealing with theft, intimidation and verbal and physical abuse as part of their daily reality. That erodes confidence. It impacts wellbeing and it drives people out of the industry. And that matters beyond retail.”
Keeve highlighted how the retail sector has invested billions in security, technology and loss prevention, but said investment alone was not enough and the level of crime was not something retailers could solve alone.
He said: “Without a government seriously cracking down on crime and a Mayor that prioritises effective policing we are powerless.
“We need a stronger, faster and more consistent police response, using tools that already exist to target repeat offenders and crime hotspots.
“And we need far greater transparency on crime so the true scale and impact is understood and can be used to target resources.”
Keeve revealed that he had written to London Mayor Sadiq Khan about the issue, and that M&S chief executive Stuart Machin had written to the Home Secretary.
He said: “It’s a clear ask: Support our police. Help them show up in our communities when and where we need them. Give them the resources they need to tackle crime effectively and ensure they work with retailers to consistently use the tools we’ve developed to share data and help them actively target offenders.
“This is not complicated. The capability exists. The data exists. The investment has been made. Time is up, we need to deal with this now.
“Retail is a cornerstone of the UK economy and a vital part of every community. But more than that, it is a human business. It depends on people feeling safe coming to work and safe walking into stores.
“Right now, that is under threat, more than I have ever seen in decades of working in retail around the world.
“We need to recognise this for what it is. A systemic issue. A growing issue. And one that demands a co-ordinated response across government, policing and industry. Our colleagues deserve better.”
The news follows an incident in Clapham on Tuesday, when around 100 police officers attended after young people gathered on Clapham High Street and stormed into shops, including M&S, as part of a social media trend.
In November, the Retail Trust launched a campaign to urge shoppers to respect store staff due to the rising levels of abuse. The move followed a survey of 1,000 retail workers by the charity, which found that more than three-quarters (77%) had experienced intimidating behaviour from customers in the past year and nearly one in four (23%) had been physically assaulted.
