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The Fed’s national president, Muntazir Dipoti, said: “With shop theft and attacks on staff at record levels, we are pleased to see Independent Retail News shining a light on the devastating impact these can have on independent retailers.
“While the findings make grim reading, they are not unexpected.
“Shop theft is not victimless. It blights our lives on a daily basis and has significant implications for a store’s viability, and – more importantly, as the Independent Retail News survey shows – on the wellbeing of both store owners and their employees.
“I am sure every member has been affected by shop theft at some point and, sadly, many incidents of shoplifting are becoming increasingly violent.
“The survey also reveals that more than half of respondents said they had considered leaving the industry as a result, which has a knock-on effect on the local communities they serve.
“No-one wants to work in fear, not wanting to be in their store alone or at night because they are worried about being a victim of theft, abuse or assault.
“But without effective deterrents – such as better police responses, stricter legislation and better CTTV equipment – sadly this will continue.
“That’s why the Fed launched its ‘Safe Secure Supported’ campaign to raise awareness of the impact of retail crime and to call on the government to make available security grants for small shops.”
ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “It is harrowing to see how retailers are affected by this extended crimewave.
“We’ve been pushing to make it easier to report crime, but while there has been some progress made in this area, far more needs to be done to identify the repeat offenders who blight shops and the communities they serve.
“We need police presence and engagement to protect retailers and colleagues on a daily basis so they can feel safe and continue the good work they do for communities across the UK.
“We will continue to work with Police & Crime Commissioners to provide essential information that can make reporting crime easier and remove the barriers to reporting so the police are able to act swiftly and consistently to protect convenience colleagues and take these prolific offenders out of the cycle of crime.”
The survey from Independent Retail News found more than 90% of store owners felt their mental health was being impacted by soaring levels of retail crime.
Some described suffering from anxiety, depression and even PTSD in the wake of burglaries, violence and prolific shoplifting.
