Retailers were given crime prevention advice at an intelligence briefing aimed at tackling the surge in shoplifting across the country. Experts from Retailers Against Crime (RAC) demonstrated the methods and props used by thieves to evade security systems and highlighted the way they often work in teams with some offenders distracting staff while others steal goods.

The meeting, attended by staff from Edinburgh-based retailers, also heard about the detrimental impact the rise in retail crime is having on the mental health and wellbeing of workers.

It follows recently released figures from the British Retail Consortium’s annual crime survey which warned how retail crime is “spiralling out of control” with 55,000 thefts a day across the UK – an all-time high - and violent and abusive incidents rising by 50% last year.

The intelligence briefing, hosted by national retail crime partnership RAC at Edinburgh’s Harvey Nichols store, emphasised the importance of businesses working together and sharing information to combat crime.

It highlighted RAC’s SentrySIS crime-fighting tool which allows users to share real-time information about thefts happening in the city with fellow retailers and the police.

Natasa Wilson, Intelligence Co-ordinator at RAC, told how incidents of violent crime are surging with 1674 reported to the organisation during 2024 from a total of 11,890 offences. Meanwhile, overall losses for retailers increased by 26% to £1.85M during the last year.

She said: “Retail crime and acts of violence are on the rise and getting worse – our aim is to detect and prevent crime and we are here to help you. We can provide you with the tools you need as a retailer or security personnel to tackle retail crime and I want to emphasise how working together in partnership is so important.”

She demonstrated how retailers can use SentrySIS to find out which criminals are currently active in their local area, be alerted to the latest crime incidents and access a database with information on more than 16,000 offenders.

And she presented footage of criminal teams demonstrating how one member might distract a shop assistant while another steals merchandise and a third hides them from view in a premeditated and quickly executed plan.

Ms Wilson also highlighted the current MOs (modus operandi) and props being used by criminals to conceal stolen goods and the tricks they’ve developed to deflect alarms.

She said: “We can provide added intelligence which you may not have come across about the different MOs offenders use – the extreme lengths these people go to and the effort they put in to steal valuable stock from your stores."

“We are seeing a lot of theft by distraction by teams who know exactly what they are doing. They scope out the shop in advance, get their bearings and work together to remove a large amount of items very quickly and they are good at what they do.”

Meanwhile, Stephanie Karté, National Operations Manager at RAC, described how the SentrySIS app has led to police officers catching criminals following intelligence sharing and highlighted the need for a partnership approach.

She said: “Shop workers are being met with violence on the job and putting up with a lot on a daily basis while we all see an increase in prices and our bills going up as retailers face increased costs. We all need to work together because the impact of retail crime affects us all.”

A security officer from a high street retailer told the group – which included representatives from security firms and staff from shops such as Marks & Spencer, Next, Harvey Nichols and Edinburgh’s St James Quarter - about the toll retail crime is taking on shop workers.

He said: “The cost of retail crime has a major impact on us all. Every incident directly impacts the profitability and economic wellbeing of the shop involved, but the crime also takes a huge toll on the mental and emotional health of employees."

“It can make staff feel unsafe and hesitant to engage with customers which in turn has a further detrimental effect on the success and security of the business."

“Retail crime is getting worse and worse and seems to be being normalised. It’s demoralising and it’s vital that we work together to keep the area safe and thriving and do what we can to provide intelligence and reduce crime.”

He added that he uses the SentrySIS platform daily, finding it useful for accessing intelligence on travelling offenders and building relationships with fellow retailers.

Meanwhile, PC Evelyn Hegarty, who works in the Police Scotland Crime Prevention Department in Edinburgh, spoke of the actions police officers are taking to fight retail crime.

She said: “We are well aware of how shoplifting has changed and increased in recent years – offenders are much more brazen now and not at all concerned about walking into shops to grab stock and threaten staff. We know the emotional impact that retail crime has on workers and there are staff who have left their jobs because they have been so traumatised."

“We know just how serious it is and we are trying to prevent it and what really helps us all is joint working and good communication.”

Measures include the recently announced Retail Crime Taskforce which will see specific officers dedicated to tackling retail crime with the aim of producing a more coordinated approach to shoplifting and better results.

Meanwhile, an intensive Day of Action, organised by RAC in partnership with Police Scotland, will take place in Edinburgh in June. Its aim is to target the most prolific offenders in the city and the initiative is expected to result in arrests and a major crackdown on retail crime.

Retailers Against Crime is a national retail crime partnership, established in 1997, which aims to detect and prevent crime by sharing information on local and travelling offenders with members and partners throughout the UK.

More information is available on the website - www.retailersagainstcrime.org