Poundland cracks down on in-store crime with new campaign
Poundland is investing in a new initiative to help combat increasing shop theft and the abuse and harassment of its staff.
As part of its ‘Against Retail Crime’ initiative launched this week, the retailer is equipping its 800 stores with anti-theft innovation to deter shoplifting. This includes headsets to allow staff members to communicate quickly when incidents occur and the roll out of body cameras to stores with the most significant crime issues.
Poundland is employing significantly more undercover guards in its shops and giving its contracted security teams the backing to detain suspected offenders in store. It is also working in close collaboration with local enforcement agencies and police forces, including support from undercover officers and sharing CCTV to aid prosecution.
The retailer said a trial of the body cams has driven an 11% decrease in violence against its colleagues, alongside a marked reduction in shoplifting and theft.
The British Retail Consortium reported in its latest Crime Survey that UK shop workers now face 1,300 incidents of violence and abuse every day, up 50% on the previous year.
Poundland’s head of loss prevention Christina Jesty said: “The rate of store theft and colleague abuse has accelerated significantly across our stores in the last 18 months, and this has been very challenging for our people.
“Whether it’s store theft undermining all our colleagues’ hard work, or incidents of violence and abuse making our colleagues feel unsafe at work, something must change.
“At Poundland we pride ourselves on being a value-led high street retailer, where protecting our colleagues goes hand in hand with protecting our prices.
“That is why we’re saying enough is enough and beginning a campaign to support our front-line teams and crack down on retail crime across our stores.”
