PCR Tech and IT retail, distribution and vendor news
A new report from the British Retail Consortium has highlighted the damage to UK businesses due to crime, with it showing that the value of goods stolen from retailers has hit a ten-year high.
The Retail Crime Survey showed that losses from thieves who were subsequently caught and convicted was £205 million: an increase of 8.5 on 2006 figures. It also highlighted that the value of the goods they stole had rose from £149 to £156, up by £7.
The report, however, warned that the vast majority of criminals got away, with the BRC saying that as much as 75 per cent of criminals were not caught meaning the actual impact to UK retail may be closer to £820 million.
Proposals earlier this year that custodial sentences be removed for shoplifters drew enormous flak from retailers, with many saying that it will only encourage more to take the risk, as well as increasing the risk of assault and abuse to themselves and their staff.
