'Anxiety, fear and physical harm': Shoplifting driving violence and abuse towards retail workers

ITV News Consumer Editor Chris Choi reports on warnings that shops are increasingly being targeted by organised crime gangs

Jonathan Sharpells has worked in retail for 14 years. During that time, he has faced verbal and physical abuse, and was once attacked by four people at work in an armed robbery.

"That was over in 67 seconds," he told ITV News. "But it felt a bit longer at the time, I can tell you."

Jonathan's experience is not an isolated one. He is among a growing number of shop workers who have become victims of intimidation and abuse in the past year, according to new figures from the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW).

The union's research has found almost one fifth of shop workers have been assaulted between 2023 and 2024.

"If you've worked in retail for a little while and if it's not happened to you, it's happened to one of your friends," Jonathan told ITV News.

USDAW have also revealed 69% of shop staff have experienced verbal abuse, and around 45% reported being threatened at work.

The majority of these incidents of abuse have been triggered by shoplifting, the union found - an issue which is itself at a 20-year high in England and Wales.

Figures released by the ONS in October have shown more than 469,000 shoplifting offences were recorded between June 2023 and June 2024 - up from around 365,000 incidents the year before. This marks the highest figure since current police recording practices began.

Those who contributed to the USDAW's survey reported being hit with trollies, scratched, sworn at, pushed against walls, held at knife point and sexually assaulted.

Paddy Lillis, who leads the union, said experiencing repeated theft and looting can leave retail workers left with "anxiety, fear and in some cases physical harm".

Mr Lillis added: "It has become increasingly common for retail stores to be targeted by organised crime gangs stealing to order in the midst of a retail crime epidemic."

Police investigating organised crime in retail have identified at least 23 shoplifting gangs operating across the country, who have stolen an estimated £3.5 million worth of goods.

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Katy Bourne, Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex, is leading the government's taskforce on retail crime - and has said headway has been made in tracking down the gangs.

"Already we've tracked over 200 individuals have been identified who weren't even on police records before," she told ITV News.

"So for the first time ever, police are able to map those organised crime gangs operating across the retail sector, and we're already starting to see convictions."

Despite this progress, and as the busy Christmas period approaches, retail employees who are so often the victims of abuse at work will be bracing themselves for the possibility of more harassment and violence.

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