Scottish retailers write to Minister calling for action on retail crime

Representatives from across Scottish retail have written a joint letter to the Scottish Government’s Minister for Community Safety, highlighting the devastating impact that the surge in retail crime is having on staff wellbeing and business.

The letter provides four separate reports, carried out by the Scottish Grocers Federation, Retailers Against Crime and Co-op and is co-signed by the likes of the Scottish Retail Consortium. Representing retail businesses on high streets the length and breadth of Scotland.

Details include the damaging effects of threatening abuse and violent behaviour toward staff and the cumulative cost of shop theft and vandalism for Scottish business - estimated to be in the hundreds of millions.

SGF Chief Exec, Dr Pete Cheema OBE said: “The police and our justice system are hugely overstretched, and many of the offenders and criminal groups think they can get away with anything they like, without consequence. But no one should be forced to come into work and put up with stock disappearing off shelves, anti-social behaviour and even armed threats or violence.”  

Maxine Fraser, Managing Director for Retailers Against Crime, added:  “We need to see much more from the Scottish Government, more dedicated resources for the police and action taken by our courts, as well as early intervention and education programmes to turn people away from committing these crimes.”

You can read the full letter to the minister here.

You can read our press release here.