It will come as no surprise to many retail premises insurers to hear that shoplifting has increased, with the British Retail Consortium (BRC) estimating that there were 8 million “theft incidents” in British shops last year, costing £953 million. There are also a rising number of violent assaults on shop staff too. It’s worth understanding more, as crime like shoplifting can also correlate with vandalism, attempted break-ins and more.
Money.co.uk shop insurance experts have extracted crime data for England & Wales to see which areas have been the worst victims of shop theft, and the results show that large towns and cities tend to have the highest risk, with rural areas being relatively free of the crime. Interestingly however, Lincoln, which is a University and tourist city is second on the leist for reported shoplifting, after Westminster in central London. This could be down to Lincoln people thinking it is actually worth reporting shoplisfting to the local Police. Hard to tell.
The top 25 hotspot local authorities for stealing goods under £200 include several areas known for relatively high unemployment, low wages, lower house values and other factors tied to relative poverty. Bassetlaw, Nottingham, Merthyr Tydfil, Redcar, Hull and more all have wel documented social problems going back decades in some cases.
Commenting on the research, Cameron Jaques, money.co.uk business insurance expert said that poverty was to blame, but is it?
“The cost of living crisis is affecting us all. With the cost of food and basic necessities continuing to rise, it’s not surprising that shoplifting is on the rise as well, as large segments of UK’s population struggle to afford essential everyday items.
With the North East of England having the highest poverty rate of all the regions, and Middlesborough, Hartlepool and Newcastle upon Tyne being in the top 25 UK shoplifting hotspots, it’s safe to think there’s a correlation there. And if the cost of living crisis is here to stay, it’s likely that supermarkets and retailers will have to deal with shoplifting as a regular occurrence.”
CHANGES IN THE LAW MAKE FOR BOLDER THIEVES
As mentioned above, goods shoplifted under £200 attract little interest from the Police and that is a cultural change which has nothing to do with relative poverty in the UK. Fact is, thieves feel that even if caught, they may well face no charges, never mind a conviction. If you make it legal to steal goods worth $950 in some cities in the USA, then the net result is trolley loads of shoplifting. Why this globalist strategy is being deployed across the retail sector is anyone’s guess; maybe the concept of owning nothing is being gradually phased in via the back door?
DIVIDE AND RULE POLICIES
According to House of Commons stats, some £8.8 billion was paid out in one off “cost of living” payments last year. All the payments went to people already claiming benefits, so those who were working got nothing.
The cost of living payments are being repeated this year and they total £1550 for the average claimant. Some pensioners have to make do with £300. Meanwhile full time workers often have to strike for more pay during this era of inflation, while non-workers get a large percentage increase two years running anyway. If that fact doesn’t make you realise that divide and rule Roman empire style tactics are being used in the UK then you are not paying attention.
INSURERS: DATA OFFERS SOLUTIONS ON RETAIL RISKS
At some point retailers will start closing shops in certain areas. Insurance cover will be declined as the risks increase. Those who targeted their local hair and beauty, supermarkets or convenience stores may well drive further afield. Like an LTN, closing shops or refusing to insure shops just moves the problem long term, it doesn’t solve it. So what can insurers do?
Maybe insurers in the retail sector can work with retailers, especially smaller shop owners, on affordable CCTV systems, shared databases of organised gangs, typical goods being targeted etc? Often goods are stolen to order with high value meat, cheese, baby products or electrical items offering pro thieves a chance to rapidly sell on stolen items. Understanding the motivation of thieves is the key to deterring their activities and simple explanations like people are poor doesn’t really cut it.
More research is needed on the links between organised gangs of shoplifters and other crimes like people trafficking, arson, drug dealing, alcohol or gambling addictions. This is an area where insurers can use that knowledge database to cross-reference various factors. That can only increase the industry’s depth of understanding.
Not understanding the prime motivations for modern shoplifting does nobody any favours; insurers, brokers and retailers must find ways of working together to apply pressure to the Police and politicians to enforce the laws and take preventative action on identifying shoplifters quickly. Perhaps deducting the goods value from benefits, or seizing assets like cars or smartphones would be a bigger deterrent than the empty threat of jail time?
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