Retail crime and loss prevention cost the industry nearly £1bn in the last year alone.
For too many UK frontline colleagues, violence, abuse and theft remain part of the daily reality.
But there are green shoots; improved collaboration, police and legislative response, and sustained investment is beginning to make a difference:
- Incidents of abuse against shopworkers dropped by a fifth over the last year (but still stand at 1,600 a day) according to the BRC’s annual crime survey
- Shop theft in England and Wales fell for the first time in five years according to the ONS, in the year to March 2026
- The crime and policing bill passed in April, ensuring police and the courts have the necessary powers to help tackle assaults and theft
- And police and Government initiatives including Project Pegasus and the Retail Crime Action Plan are driving improved intelligence sharing.
However, sustained change hinges on continued collaboration, motivation and investment from across the retail ecosystem.
That’s why we’re bringing together retail peers and industry experts, to workshop the biggest challenges in reducing crime and improving colleague safety, on October 13, 8.30am-11.30am, at Chancery House, Holborn.
Apply now for your free place to be part of the conversation.
Apply for a place
Retail Week’s Retail Crime and Colleague Safety Workshop takes place on October 13, 2026, 8.30am-11.30am, at Fora, Chancery House, London. Apply for your place today.*
*Please note – places are limited and exclusive to retailers and retail brands only. Apply for your ticket and we'll be in touch to confirm your place.
The Workshop Agenda
Customer theft is the biggest single driver of recorded retail crime.
But that’s only part of the picture.
Delivery theft, internal loss and organised crime continue to be significant and growing problems. And the impact extends beyond financial loss; eroding consumer trust, increasing the cost of supply chains and driving pressure across the system.
In today’s environment it’s not enough to sell more. Retailers have to lose less.
So, what can be done to restore the balance? This interactive panel discussion will explore the answers, covering:
- The latest insights into the impact of crime and damage on the industry
- Which technologies are helping reduce shrink; from gen-AI to RFID
- How to implement loss prevention tools without disrupting CX
- The impact of clear stock control and improved workflows on reducing loss
The best tech, tools, and strategies to drive in-store colleague safety will inevitably lead to nothing.
Which is exactly what you want.
But the onus is then on finding the right solutions for the job – that will shift the focus from simply capturing and reporting the truth, to actively protecting frontline teams.
In this dynamic workshop, we will explore:
- Which tools and tech your peers are adopting to drive colleague safety
- The psychological power of tech, such as body cameras, as de-escalation tools
- Why connectivity is crucial to building a robust safety net
- How to effectively measure the ROI of safety technologies
- How to ensure your full ‘frontline’, including delivery drivers, are protected too
Who attends?
The Retail Crime and Colleague Safety Workshop will bring together peers from across the retail ecosystem to collaborate, share best practice and discuss the biggest issues facing the sector.
Attendees already set to be in the room include colleagues from Sainsbury's, Boots, Currys, John Lewis Partnership, HMV, BP, JD Sports, TJX Europe, Lush, WHSmith and more, working in senior roles spanning security, risk, profit and asset protection, health and safety, business transformation, operations, finance, stores and people functions.
The Retail Trust's consumer-facing Let’s Respect Retail campaign urges shoppers to show respect for retail staff, through simple gestures such as saying hello, thank you or smiling, as abuse levels soar on the shop floor.
The campaign follows research results collected by the charity, which found that over three-quarters of shop staff had experienced intimidating behaviour in the last year and a quarter were physically assaulted.
Get involved
Are you a retailer or retail brand with a great story to tell? If you are interested in speaking at one of Retail Week's Retail Crime and Colleague Safety events please contact Senior Commercial Content Editor, Rebecca Taylor
Are you a partner supporting retailers? Retail Week's Retail Crime and Colleague Safety events can provide exclusive speaking opportunities, targeted lead generation and brand awareness among a captive audience. Share your insights with retailers and position yourself as a thought leader in the space.
Contact Retail Week’s Commercial team to find out more about the sponsorship packages