Police recorded retail crime in Scotland:
- Shoplifting increased from 20,557 during the pandemic to 44,730 last year (2024/5), which is a 118% increase and includes a 16% rise on the previous year (2023/4).
- The ‘clear-up’ rate for shoplifting has fallen every year over the past 10 years from 74.6% in 2014/5 to 49% in 2024/5, an overall decrease of over one-third.
- Since the Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Act 2021 came into effect on 24 August 2021, there have been 7,861 police recorded incidents of common assault of a retail worker.
Tony Doonan – Usdaw regional secretary for Scotland says: “Scottish retail workers suffer far too many incidents of violence, abuse and threats. No-one should feel afraid to go to work, but far too many retail workers are. Usdaw’s own survey shows that nearly three-quarters of our members working in retail are being abused, threatened and assaulted for simply doing their job and serving the community. They provide an essential service and deserve our respect and the protection of the law.
“The scale of the epidemic of retail crime is laid bare in these shocking police recorded crime statistics. It is increasingly common for retail stores to be targeted by organised crime gangs stealing to order. This is in no way a victimless crime, with weapons and violence used to ensure these criminals are not stopped. Having to deal with repeated and persistent offences can cause issues beyond the theft itself, like anxiety, fear and physical harm to retail workers.
“Scotland’s protection of retail workers law has made a difference, having been used for nearly 5,000 assaults, but more needs to be done. We continue to work with retailers, the Scottish Government and Police Scotland to help ensure that legislation is fully utilised so that all retail workers receive the protection and respect they deserve.”
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is one of the fastest growing unions in the TUC and the UK's fifth biggest trade union with around 360,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades www.usdaw.org.uk
Official Statistics on clear-up rates explanation on page 60
Usdaw’s survey of 1,011 Scottish retail staff found that in the last twelve months (national average):
- 70% have experienced verbal abuse (77%).
- 45% were threatened by a customer (53%).
- 8% were assaulted (10%).
Full report: www.usdaw.org.uk/FFFReport2024
Usdaw’s Freedom from Fear Campaign seeks to prevent violence, threats and abuse against workers by engaging the public, shop workers and the Government. www.usdaw.org.uk/Campaigns/Freedom-From-Fear
Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Act 2021: www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2021/6
For Usdaw press releases visit: www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Bluesky @usdawunion.bsky.social and Twitter/X @UsdawUnion