The Retail Crime Surge and the New Law Protecting Shop Staff

The Retail Crime Surge and the New Law Protecting Shop Staff

Protecting retail staff involves more than preventing shop theft. How should a business respond when employees face aggressive behaviour, threats, or physical assault? What role should security personnel play, and how can retailers create procedures that protect both staff and customers? Depending on the risk profile, businesses may also consider specialist options, such as close protection security services in the UK, when additional personal security is required.

The UK’s new legislation specifically addresses assaults against retail workers, giving businesses another important consideration when reviewing their security arrangements. From risk assessments and staff training to professional guarding and incident response, retailers can take several practical steps to create a safer environment for everyone.

What Is the New Law Protecting Retail Workers?

The Crime and Policing Act 2026 introduced a specific offence covering the assault of a retail worker while they are at work. The legislation applies to people working on or around retail premises, including employees, owners, occupiers and certain unpaid workers. Retail premises can include shops, wholesale premises that also sell goods to the public, stalls, and vehicles.

The offence carries a maximum penalty of six months’ imprisonment, an unlimited fine, or both under the current summary-offence provisions. The legislation also provides for Criminal Behaviour Orders in specified circumstances following conviction.

The purpose is not simply to introduce another criminal offence. The government has also highlighted the importance of separately recording assaults against retail workers so that the scale of the problem can be better understood and used to inform policing responses.

Why Has Retail Crime Become Such an Important Issue?

Retail businesses can face several different types of security challenges, including shop theft, antisocial behaviour, verbal abuse, threats and physical assaults. However, the latest government factsheet provides a more recent picture: retail-sector data indicated approximately 590,000 incidents of violence and abuse in 2024–25, a 20% decrease from the previous year’s 737,000.

This distinction is important. Retail crime remains a significant operational issue, but describing it simply as continuously increasing would not reflect the latest available figures.

What Does the New Law Mean for Retail Businesses?

The new offence provides retailers and their employees with a specific legal framework for assaults occurring while a retail worker is at work.

However, legislation does not replace practical security measures. Retailers still need to consider how they can prevent incidents, protect staff and customers, respond appropriately when something happens, and preserve evidence for the relevant authorities.

A security strategy may include:

• Visible security personnel
• CCTV monitoring
• Access and exit management
• Incident reporting procedures
• Staff training
• Communication systems
• Emergency response procedures
• Regular security risk assessments

What Should Retailers Consider When Hiring Security?

Not every retail environment needs the same level of protection. A small convenience store, shopping centre, supermarket and high-value retail outlet may face very different risks.

1. What are the main risks?

Review previous incidents, busy periods, vulnerable areas, and the types of problems staff regularly encounter.

2. What level of security is required?

Depending on the circumstances, this might involve static guarding, mobile patrols, CCTV monitoring or a combination of measures.

3. Are security personnel appropriately licensed?

Where a role requires an SIA licence, businesses should verify that personnel have the appropriate licence before they begin work.

4. Does the provider understand retail environments?

Retail security requires an understanding of customer-facing environments, shoplifting prevention, staff safety, incident reporting, and appropriate escalation.

5. Does the provider have clear procedures?

Ask how the company handles incidents, supervises guards, records events, and communicates with your management team.

What About Shop Theft?

The Crime and Policing Act 2026 also changed the legal treatment of low-value shop theft. The legislation repealed the provision that treated theft of goods worth £200 or less as a summary-only offence. The government says this change is intended to ensure that shop theft is treated as general theft rather than being subject to the previous low-value provision.

For retailers, this is part of a wider change in the legal approach to retail crime. Nevertheless, prevention and effective incident management remain important elements of day-to-day retail operations.

Building a Practical Retail Security Strategy

The new legislation gives retail workers a specific legal protection against assault, but businesses still need practical measures to protect staff and customers.

Start by identifying the risks specific to your premises. Review previous incidents, assess staffing levels, consider the busiest operating periods, and determine where security personnel or technology could provide additional support.

Training is equally important. Retail employees should know how to report incidents, when to seek assistance and how to prioritise their own safety.

For more complex environments, professional security support can help businesses establish appropriate procedures and maintain a visible security presence. Where particular individuals face elevated or specific personal-security risks, close protection security services UK may also be considered as part of a wider, risk-based security strategy.

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