Nisa bosses say small stores must figure large in retail crime action plan

In an open letter timed to coincide with Usdaw’s Respect for Shopworkers Week (13 to 19 November), Nisa managing director Peter Batt and head of retail Victoria Lockie said:

“While the national action plan is a welcome step – not least the commitments to prioritise urgent attendance at the scene of shoplifting involving violence against a shop worker – we hope the plight of independent retailers is given as much consideration as the larger organisations.

“If we are going to tackle this issue seriously, we need to make sure all retailers, including independent retailers running their own stores, can feel safe simply doing their job.

“So, as we support Usdaw’s efforts this week to continue the conversation around respect for shopworkers, big and small, we would urge independent retailers to ensure they are reporting crime, to give themselves the best chance of police action – and we would urge the police to ensure independent retailers are not left behind in the race to tackle retail crime.

“Independent retailers are the beating hearts of high streets across the country, and if we want to ensure they are still there for the communities they serve, then action needs to be taken now.”

They added: “Our teams hear on a weekly basis from retailers dealing with the ongoing challenge of shoplifting, and the impact that is having both financially and on their own wellbeing.

“Nisa retailer Ben Selvaratnam, owner of Freshfields Market in Croydon, south London, a family-run store, told us that shoplifting has become such an issue that they are targeted by three to 10 thefts or attempted thefts a day, costing him hundreds of pounds a week.

“Stories like Ben’s are sadly not isolated and the impact of retail crime is particularly tough for independent retailers, many of whom are open longer hours and can’t afford to hire professional security.

“These horrific incidents have a long-lasting impact on businesses and a negative impact for the community overall.”

Selvaratnam said: “It’s like we must accept that this is the price of running a small business. This is an industry we love, but that love is being chipped away at every day by criminals who put our safety and livelihoods at risk.”

Selvaratnam said some of his staff were now doubling up as security guards in a bid to deter shoplifters.

“It’s just very tough for us just to survive, so this does have a massive impact. We now watch the CCTV at all times. We’re trying to manage a situation where we’re almost getting swamped.

“[On one occasion] they were challenged by two members of the team. They looked and said: ‘I’m not giving it back. I’m not going to pay for it. What are you going to do?’”

The store catches thieves by having one member of staff to constantly monitor the store’s CCTV and have a policy of confronting them. They position items at the front of the shelves facing forward, meaning they know instantly if items are missing.

The store has also reduced its opening hours from 8.30am to 9pm instead of 11pm after noticing a spike in incidents late at night.

Nisa recently welcomed the publication of the new Retail Crime Action Plan, which sets out the way police should respond to and investigate thefts against convenience stores and other retail businesses.

While welcoming the government’s suggested plan action plan, Selvaratnam said he would still like to see a more visible police presence on the high street to enable swifter action to be taken against offenders.

“We welcome the action and hope to see the authorities attend as many of these incidents as possible, but the proof will be in the numbers over the coming months,” he said.

“If these offenders know there will be serious consequences for their actions, I’m certain the rate of these incidents will reduce.

“But we need police action now to get us to that position.”