Shoplifting had more than doubled since the pandemic according to Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) statistics. Credit ArieStudio/Shutterstock.

Retail staff and employers in Northern Ireland are advocating for the implementation of a law to safeguard shop workers amid rising levels of retail crime.

The initiative follows a significant increase in retail crime, with the Police Service of Northern Ireland reporting that incidents of shoplifting have more than doubled since the pandemic.  

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Usdaw’s latest survey of 5,500 retail staff across the UK revealed that 18% experienced violent attacks in 2023, compared to 8% in 2022.  

60% of respondents attributed the violence, threats and abuse they experienced to shoplifting or armed robbery.  

The British Retail Consortium’s Crime Survey echoes these findings, stating that incidents of violence and abuse against retail staff surged to more than 1,300 per day in the fiscal year 2022 to 2023.   

See Also:

In a letter to UK Minister of Justice Naomi Long, the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium and retail trade union Usdaw called for support from the Northern Ireland Assembly for a law similar to the one recently included in the King’s speech for England and Wales. 

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Usdaw general secretary Paddy Lillis said: “It is deeply disturbing for our members to see a doubling in theft from shops. Shoplifting has long been a major flashpoint for violence and abuse against shop workers. The case for a separate criminal offence for abusing or assaulting a retail worker is clear, with Usdaw’s survey showing that physical assaults are at an all-time high. We fear retail crime is in danger of becoming normalised if action is not taken.” 

“A separate criminal offence will ensure greater visibility and awareness of the scale of the problem, prioritisation and resourcing from the police, and certainty from courts and will send a clear message […] that abuse and attacks against retail workers are wholly unacceptable. It will also allow the tracking of the data around cases as they progress through the criminal justice system.”