Crime and victims
Business & retail crime
The cost of business and retail crime is felt across many fronts. Far from being ‘victimless’, the effects of retail and other business crime are widely felt, on employers and employees, on customers and on the wider community. This is why reducing this kind of crime is so important for everyone.
The cost of business crime
Facts & figures
- the British retail consortium suggests that retail crime costs every household in the UK and extra £90 each year on their shopping bills
- 75% of retailers and 50% of manufacturers experienced at least one crime in the previous year, according to the Commercial Victimisation Survey (2002).
- Overall, the risk of crime to retailers and manufacturers was lower comparing the results of the 2002 survey with those of the previous survey in 1994.
- 75% were seriously worried about crime and the effect on their businesses
a survey by the British Chambers of Commerce estimated that crime costs businesses £19 billion annually!
The extent of the problem is further revealed by the police figures for England and Wales 2006/07, which indicate the total number of shoplifting offences recorded by the police was 294,304 – a number that had no statistical difference from the previous year.
Government initiatives to tackle business crime
What we’re doing to crack down on business crime:
Business crime reduction advisors
Each of the Government offices in England and Wales has appointed a Business Crime Reduction Advisor.
Their role is to develop a true understanding of the issues affecting businesses within their region and ensure that crime reduction initiatives focus on local needs. Find out more on the Crime Reduction website (new window).
Helping small retailers in deprived areas
This £15 million project has helped 12,500 small businesses improve their security measures. Find out more at the Crime Reduction website (new window).
Encouraging secure design
The Design Against Crime initiative (new window) seeks to encourage businesses to consider the crime resistance of their designs and systems before launching them.
We have also worked with major businesses on the Chipping of Goods initiative (new window) and have invested £5.5 million in demonstrating the benefits of electronic tagging throughout the retail supply chain.
Reducing drug-related retail crime
We are running pilot projects that link retailers to local Drug Action teams in order to organise better access to treatment for persistent shop thieves with drug problems.
The PASS scheme: helping you comply with the law
Retailers risk severe penalties if they are caught selling age-restricted products, such as alcohol and cigarettes, to under-age customers.
As different products have different age restrictions retailers should always apply the 'Challenge 21' approach - challenging anyone who looks under 21 to prove their age.
PASS (Proof-of-Age Standards Scheme) helps them comply with the law on age-restricted products by allowing young customers to prove their age using standardised proof-of-age cards.
Since these cards all display a PASS holographic logo, which proves the cards are legitimate, they are now one of the few acceptable forms of ID, along with passports and photo-ID driving licences, accepted by businesses.
For more about PASS and a list of all PASS-approved cards, download the PASS leaflet.
Tips to protect your business
1. Visit our business crime mini-site
The business crime mini-site (new window) on the Home Office Crime Reduction website holds lots of useful information for businesses and retailers.
It offers the business security booklet 'Your business, keep crime out of it', which explains how to conduct a crime prevention survey on your business premises, as well as links to other helpful websites.
2. Visit the Design Against Crime website
Design Against Crime (new window) offers useful advice on how design can help reduce crime against your business.
It showcases a variety of case studies, and offers educational materials and information for designers and business owners.
