UK discount retailer Poundland has partnered with Motorola Solutions to bolster security at its retail stores across the country and reduce violence and theft.
Motorola has deployed its VT100 body cameras to frontline employees throughout the retailer’s locations.
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The VT100 is part of an extensive suite of safety and security technologies provided by Motorola Solutions for enterprises.
During an initial trial phase, Poundland observed a decline in incidents.
There has been an 11% reduction in aggressive encounters involving staff members, and a noticeable decrease in instances of shoplifting and theft.
Motorola Solutions enterprise sales corporate vice-president Neil Thomas said: “A safer environment for frontline workers and shoppers alike underpins everything retailers do.
“The VT100 empowers in-store staff with the information they need to decisively protect their employees, customers and stores.”
The initiative has also enhanced Poundland’s Security and Loss Prevention team’s ability to objectively document events, thereby streamlining investigations.
Along with the VT100 body cameras, Poundland uses Motorola Solutions’ VideoManager digital evidence management solution to efficiently organise video data.
The system allows for the correlation of body camera footage with CCTV recordings and other relevant incident information.
The deployment of body cameras comes in response to growing personal safety concerns among UK retail workers.
Motorola Solutions’ 2024 UK Retail Worker Safety Report, conducted by YouGov, revealed that one in four retail workers are contemplating leaving their jobs due to these worries.
The report also highlighted that 56% of retail workers have observed petty theft, 31% have come across organised crime rings, and 50% have faced hostile customer interactions in the previous year.
70% of shop workers believe that body cameras contribute effectively to de-escalating dangerous or confrontational scenarios.
The British Retail Consortium’s latest Annual Crime Survey revealed that incidents of violence and abuse against retail staff rose to more than 2,000 per day in the fiscal year 2023/24 from 1,300 daily occurrences the previous year.
In January 2024, the UK government announced initiatives aimed at cracking down on retail crime.
Measures include investments in new technology to deter shoplifting and proposed legislation to recognise assaults on shop workers as a separate criminal offence in England and Wales.
