Retail Security: Then and Now
A brief history of UK retail security.
“Boomers” like me who grew up in the 1970s and ’80s were largely unaware of retail security back then. Security technology had yet to emerge significantly. Retailers were betting the security of their stock on security aids like the convex mirrors that allowed staff to observe large sections of a shop and monitor blind spots from a distance.
Retailers that did use security guards or store detectives could only draw from a pool that was not robustly vetted and lacked formal training or regulation because it was simply not available. In fact, the situation was so bad that the lines between security and crime were often blurred.
The main threats faced by retailers were staff “pilfering” and shoplifters. Violence towards retail staff was virtually unheard of. Retail security strategies relied on physical presence and keeping valuable merchandise under lock and key. Security alarm systems and basic intruder detection were in limited use but were often installed by unregulated providers and lacked central regulation or centralised monitoring capability.
The approach by many of the main retailers was to brush incidents of retail crime under the carpet and simply dismiss dishonest staff without prosecuting them. Retailers felt that their reputation could be tarnished if they admitted being affected by retail crime and were willing to accept increased risk of theft and a lack of shoplifting prosecutions in return for more sales and less negative publicity.
Retail Crime is Not a New Phenomenon
Despite its lower profile just a few decades ago, retail crime is a perennial problem that has existed as long as traders have been setting out their stalls and selling goods to the public.
The low-key approach and the fact that retail crime was almost a taboo subject among the retailers themselves in the 1970s and 80s contributed to multi-million-pound annual losses for the industry. These losses, equating to roughly 2% of total retail turnover, did start to drive change, but much of the resistance in the early days came from the retailers themselves.
| Year | Recorded Offences | Estimated Financial Impact |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 127,000 | ≈ 2% of turnover (all retail theft) |
| 1976 | 181,000 | ≈ 2% of turnover |
| 1980 | 200,000+ | ≈ £1 billion per year |
| 1990 | 250,000+ | Still around 2% of turnover |
| **These figures may not accurately reflect the actual loss (many incidents were going unreported)** |
Significant Retail Security Milestones
We have established that, although suffering significant losses from criminal activity, retail security in the UK during the 1970s and 1980s was different and much more low-key. Using the power of the written word to time-travel forward, where are we now with retail security, and what have been the main drivers behind the changes that have taken place?
Some milestones over the next 2 decades collectively enhanced the ability of retailers to monitor shoppers, deter shoplifting and staff dishonesty, and gather evidence for prosecuting offenders. The introduction of regulation, a gradual change in attitude towards retail security plus developments in the integration of electronic tagging, CCTV, improved alarms, and communication systems all contributed to making progress.
1. Regulation of the security industry
The Private Security Industry Act 2001 was a significant milestone for the security industry. Between 2001 and 2004, licensing for most private security activities became mandatory. It required applicants to meet minimum training requirements, pass background checks, and adhere to standards of conduct while on duty.
The body established to oversee the new requirements was the Security Industry Authority (SIA). The introduction of the SIA led to a decrease in untrained, unvetted personnel. The professionalism of the security workforce began to improve, establishing trust from the public and from retailers in retail security guards as legitimate, trained professionals rather than unregulated and often intimidating enforcers.
2. Changing attitudes to retail security
One of the first things needed to bring about real progress was a fundamental change in attitude by the larger retailers and the industry itself. This was slow in coming, mainly due to:
- A reluctance to publicly admit that they were being affected by crime for fear of loss of reputation
- Ad hoc and ineffective security policies and procedures
- A reluctance to invest a significant budget into retail loss prevention
- A public perception that shoplifting was a victimless crime
- The limitations of the available security technology
- A general lack of training and awareness, both for employees and for contracted security personnel
However, with the introduction of a new regulatory framework mandating training and licensing for security guards and gradual improvements in security technology, the retail industry began to reassess its previous reluctance to implement overt security measures in shops, as theft rates continued to rise year on year.
3. Security technology improvements
Between the 1980s and the turn of the century, a transition to layered retail security that focused on blending security guarding with emerging technological security solutions took place. This laid the foundation for the more advanced, integrated retail security and loss prevention strategies seen from 2005 onwards.
CCTV Surveillance, Capture, and Data Storage: During the 1980s and 1990s, the widespread adoption of CCTV was spurred on by improvements in image quality and recording capabilities (first with VHS, then digital).
Stock Tagging: Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) tags were more widely adopted in the 1980s. The Acousto-Magnetic (AM) Systems developed in the 1970s became the standard during the 1980s, particularly for clothing and textiles, due to their reliability and because they produced fewer false alarms.
Access Control and Alarm Systems: The development of better intruder alarms, panic buttons, and secure entry point systems helped protect employees, back offices and stockrooms and limited unauthorised staff access to areas storing high-value stock.
Communications Equipment and Systems: Communications equipment became smaller and more portable, with extended ranges. Two-way portable radios improved communication between security staff and store personnel, helping to coordinate and speed up the response of shop floor personnel and security guards to any security incidents.
4. Improved retail loss prevention strategies
Another response to increasing retail crime and the corresponding reduction in profits was to think more holistically about retail security. Retail loss prevention strategies take a comprehensive overview of in-store security. They cover the layout of the shop, optimal stock placement, and lighting arrangements to eliminate blind spots and support surveillance technology. They might also consider the number and types of security personnel, where they are placed within the store and the best and most appropriate stock tagging systems.
Did retail security improvements drive down crime rates?
Data collection was a bit sketchy during these times, but this is what we do know. In the late 1990s to early 2000s (up to around 2005), the Crime Survey for England and Wales, backed by police-recorded data, indicates a reduction in property crimes, including shoplifting.
This was attributed to improvements in retail security technology like CCTV and EAS tags, increased spending by retailers on loss prevention, and better collaboration between police and retailers, resulting in effective targeted police/retailer joint operations.
Example of a targeted operation with collaboration between police and retailers
Street Focus – Torquay
From the late 1990s into the early 2000s, retail security in Torquay benefited from a crime reduction partnership between the police and the retail sector. Partnership efforts included regular meetings between retailers and police, with data sharing about patterns of crime, including the most problematic times and locations. Communication channels were established to provide for faster intelligence sharing and quicker response times. Offender data was also shared for the flagging of persistent offenders.
Street Focus Torquay was recently relaunched with new funding and a wider brief encompassing more general crime hotspot collaboration, reporting and policing.
Better outcomes were short-lived
The industry saw a fundamental shift towards investing in integrated retail security solutions, including improved security guarding standards, security technology, and a more professional, general approach to loss prevention.
Shouldn’t that mean that the turn of the century marked a trend towards continuous improvement in tackling retail crime? Far from it! Fast forward to 2025, and shoplifting in England and Wales has reached its highest level since consistent records began in 2003.
The latest retail crime statistics
Retail crime is one of the sectors giving major cause for concern for the current Labour government. The British Retail Consortium is an important data source and recently released its retail crime survey for 2025, with some shocking statistics on violence and intimidation towards employees, the increase in customer theft and the amount of budget UK retailers are spending on security.
The report details the spiralling trend in violence, abuse, and theft, the heavy financial cost to retailers, and calls for continued collaborative efforts between retailers, police, and government to tackle a situation that has been worsening year on year since 2020.
Take a look at these statistics:
Violence and intimidation towards staff
- There has been an increase in violence and abuse towards retail staff of over 340% between 2020 and 2025
- Violence and abuse towards staff between 2024 and 2025 increased by over 50%. This equates to around 2000 incidents per day (the highest ever recorded)
- Around 70 incidents of violence and intimidation towards staff per day involve the use of or a threat to use weapons
- An increasing trend linking retail theft to violence was noted in the report
Organised gangs
The evidence points towards gang involvement, making some areas of retail crime much more organised. The same gangs are researching, compiling lists of desired goods and systematically targeting multiple stores. It is now common for gangs to use social media to identify targets and coordinate their criminal activities.
Casual theft and shoplifting
- The incidents of theft in 2023 were over 16 million
- The incidents of theft in 2024 rose to over 20 million, equating to 55.000 per day and representing a year-on-year increase of around 25%
- The total cost of theft alone was £2.2 billion
- The total cost, including crime prevention in 2024, topped £4.2 billion
Professional Retail Security Services in the UK
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Where did it all go wrong?
It is possible to go back over the last couple of decades and identify political and economic trends that negatively impacted retail security. There were frequent cuts in police funding, staffing and local policing resources that negatively impacted the level of proactive policing and altered police response priorities. Resources and engagement levels have fluctuated over the decades, hindering continued efforts to reduce retail crime.
But things have descended to another level since 2020, so let’s focus our attention there. From 2020 onwards, 3 events conspired together to push retail price inflation in the UK up to its highest ever levels, with rapid increases making the price of the weekly shop almost unaffordable for some lower-income families. With wage growth stagnant, rapidly increasing prices created a vicious cycle. There is no doubt that some of the increase in retail crime has been driven by desperation.
1. Brexit
In 2016, the UK held a referendum on leaving the EU and the leave vote won by a small margin. After several transition years, this departure on 31 January 2020 from the EU single market and customs union introduced new red tape in the form of customs declarations, delays due to checks, and tariffs on certain goods. These import costs and regulations introduced new expenses for retailers that were often passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices.
2. COVID-19-Driven Price Increases
Lockdowns, factory closures, and international shipping delays during the pandemic caused shortages of goods across sectors such as food, electronics, and clothing. These disruptions led to increased transportation and manufacturing costs, which retailers passed on to consumers.
3. The War in Ukraine
On the 24th of February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. Both Russia and Ukraine were large energy providers, and Ukraine was also the largest wheat grower in Europe, earning it a reputation as “the breadbasket of Europe”.
The resulting fuel and energy price surge caused global gas and electricity prices to spike. Retailers and manufacturers faced higher energy costs, especially affecting transportation and production, which led to higher prices for goods, with costs once again passed to consumers.
Ukraine – The Breadbasket of Europe
Has life been made easier for shoplifters?
Several legislative changes and policy shifts in the UK over the last decade have inadvertently worked in favour of shoplifters by weakening retail crime deterrents and reducing the effectiveness of enforcement efforts.
Legislation
One of the most significant legislative changes was that the UK Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 recategorised the shoplifting of goods with a value of less than £200 as anti-social behaviour as opposed to theft. This meant that perpetrators were more likely to get off with a warning and were unlikely to appear in court. It also meant that Police forces adopted protocols limiting the attendance and processing of low-value theft cases, which meant that many shoplifting incidents were no longer prioritised for investigation or prosecution.
You would be correct in assuming that by weakening these deterrents to retail crime in an attempt to save resources and unburden the court process, the government created a shoplifting free-for-all. In just a decade, petty shoplifting spiralled out of control, costing retailers a fortune.
Violent Assaults and Verbal Intimidation of Staff
The shocking statistics referred to in this post clearly indicate that as deterrents weakened, the Police became disinterested, the cost of living crisis bit deeper, and attitudes towards retail crime became more brazen. This is reflected in both the total financial loss and the rapid escalation in physical and verbal assault on members of staff.
What this also revealed was that there was no standalone offence for assault on retail employees and shop workers. They were (and are currently) treated as a general assault without specific recognition or harsher sentencing. This gap limited legal protections for vulnerable retail workers facing violence at work. The government have started to address this in the latest proposals for the upcoming Policing and Crime Bill.
And of course, retail staff have been universally advised not to directly confront shoplifters and other criminals to avoid the possibility of a physical attack.
The Ebb and Flow of Retail Crime
| Period | Trend | Notes/Drivers |
|---|---|---|
| 1970s–1980s | Increasing | Limited tech, unregulated industry |
| Early/mid-1990s | High | Heightened awareness, industry spending |
| Late 1990s–early 2000s | Decreasing | Security advances, police focus, increased professionalism |
| 2010 onwards | Increasing | Cost-of-living crisis, police resource constraints |
| 2020–2025 | Record highs | Wars, pandemics, economic instability, and organised crime |
| The ups and downs of retail crime over more than half a century |
Summing Up
Reading through this brief history of retail security, it’s hard to believe that in over half a century of improvements in security contractor and security guard regulation and training, security technology development, and increased collaboration and professionalism within the industry, UK retail crime rates have exploded to record highs in the last 5 years.
When events conspire to create a cost-of-living crisis, food and household goods become unaffordable, creating a desperation that not only transcends normal societal behaviour but also opens up opportunities for organised crime to step in and supply the things that people need on the black market.
It’s almost as if retail security has been the poor cousin, neglected by the rest of the family. But if total losses due to crime topped £4 billion in 2024, who picks up the tab? Inevitably, it’s the consumer through higher prices, and so the circle is perpetuated.
One of the key differences between retail crime in the 1970s and retail crime in 2025 is the level of violence and intimidation directed towards retail staff or anyone else who attempts to confront it. One of our sister companies was recently asked to provide armed security officers dressed in tactical uniforms for a clothing outlet in New York.
The fact that people face physical danger simply by going to work in their local shop means that things need to change, but how to achieve that?
Security companies like Angleside are standing by to contribute, but the main impetus has to come from government regulation, increased law enforcement engagement and of course, a commitment from the retail industry to reduce losses rather than taking the path of least resistance by loading them back on the consumer in the form of price rises.
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