King’s Speech marks ‘crowning moment’ for all store workers and communities as crackdown on retail crime and new specific offence for attacks and assaults on shopworkers is announced

17 July 2024

• Co-op applauds Government move to legislate and make new specific offence for attacks and assaults on a shopworker
• The convenience retailer reveals its latest crime data for H1 (2024)
• The announcement comes as Co-op also today launches its new brand proposition ‘Owned By You, Right By You’ - championing the co-operative model and how its members can campaign for solutions to issues like retail crime

With unprecedented levels of retail crime impacting the industry, Co-op has recognised the announcement in today’s King’s Speech (Wednesday, 17 July) as a positive shift in the crackdown on repeat and prolific offenders that blight many communities.

News of the Government announcement to legislate to make attacking and assaulting a shopworker a standalone and specific offence has been roundly applauded. The convenience retailer has campaigned for greater protection for the nations shopworkers for more than seven years, with store workers and member-owners voicing their concern about the impact of crime on their communities, and how brazen criminals were stealing with impunity.

Last year Co-op revealed record levels of retail crime, and today unveils its latest crime data which shows more than 172,000 incidents in the first half of 2024.

While the rate of increase has slowed, these figures still mark a 4% increase on last year’s unprecedented levels of crime, and a 42% increase since 2022. The figures comprise more than 22,750 incidents of anti-social behaviour, abuse, harassment, attacks and assaults – which equates to more than 125 of its store workers impacted mentally or physically every day.

It is recognised that the majority of retail crime is driven by repeat and prolific offenders, and local organised criminal gangs – often stealing goods for re-sale or for the funding of addictions.

This week, Co-op also launched a new multi-million pound brand campaign, focused on the ownership element of their co-operative business model, whereby they are owned and run by their members. The new advert, with the new end line, ‘Owned By You, Right By You’ outlines the clear differences this can lead to, and the campaigning to legislate against retail crime is front and centre of this approach.

(A still image from the new Co-op TV advert)

Paul Gerrard, Co-op Director of Campaigns and Public Affairs, said: “Today’s news marks a seismic shift in the crackdown on retail crime, and will send a clear and powerful message to those who think it is acceptable to attack, assault or abuse shopworkers that, put quite simply, the law does not accept this behaviour and, it will now make it easier and much more straightforward for the authorities to investigate and prosecute - which means all shopworkers will be safer.

“We know it will make a difference, because in Scotland - where they have had the standalone offence since 2021 - we see 60% of incidents of violence and abuse towards shopworkers (that are reported to the police) resulting in arrest, while in England and Wales, without that standalone offence, the figure is just 10%. The news today comes as we also champion the co-operative model and demonstrate how it gives member-owners a real voice - we say ‘Owned By You, Right By You’ and today’s development, along with our partnership approach with numerous Forces, shows that co-operation can provide a solution to many of the challenges we face in society today.”

(Paul Gerrard, Co-op's Director of Campaigns and Public Affairs)

Co-op has invested more than £200M over recent years in preventative measures. Including body-worn cameras, covert and non-covert guarding, latest interactive CCTV; fortified kiosks and defensive merchandising including ‘dummy’ (or empty) packages and even limiting product on shelf in stores most affected.

Paul, added: “Co-op has been the most compelling voice for action to tackle retail crime because it has been the most transparent business in terms of the reality of retail crime and has invested in making the case to parliamentarians, politicians and policy makers over many years. This transparency and campaigning edge comes from the fact that our member owners wanted the co-op to make the case - no other business has or would do the same.”

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Editor notes:

Tackling Retail Crime - creating a new specific offence of assaulting a shopworker can be found in the King's Speech background briefing / details doc (Pg 57) - here

About Co-op:

Co-op is one of the world’s largest consumer co-operatives with interests across food, funerals, insurance and legal services. Owned by millions of UK consumers, the Co-op operates almost 2,400 food stores, over 800 funeral homes and provides products to over 6,000 other stores, including those run by independent co-operative societies and through its wholesale business, Nisa Retail Limited. Employing 56,000 people, the Co-op has an annual turnover of over £11billion and is a recognised leader for its social goals and community-led programmes. The Co-op exists to meet members’ needs and stand up for the things they believe in.

Further information:

Andrew Torr
Senior Press Officer - Co-op Press Office
M: 07702505551
E: andrew.torr@coop.co.uk