West Midlands constabulary areas record another increase in shoplifting – Usdaw concerned about the impact on retail staff
West Midlands retail workers speak out about violence, threats and abuse – Usdaw highlights the link with shop theft
Retail trade union Usdaw has launched shocking statistics from its annual survey November 2025. Usdaw members are raising awareness of the union’s year-round ‘Freedom from Fear’ Campaign and talking to the public to promote a message of ‘respect for retail workers’.
Interim results from over 3,000 retail staff responses show that in the last twelve months (change from last year):
71% (-6) have experienced verbal abuse.
48% (-5) were threatened by a customer.
9% (-1) were assaulted.
West Midlands voices from the frontline: These are some of the comments West Midlands
retail workers shared when responding to Usdaw’s survey:
Staffordshire: “Verbal abuse, sexual harassment, threats from customers and shoplifters.” –
“Been threatened to wait for me outside of work when my shift finished.” – “Punched repeatedly by shoplifter, went to court, he was fined.”
Birmingham: “Regular shoplifter doesn’t care and pushes past swearing at us.” – “Abused when refusing Red Bull sale because of no ID.” – “Customer shouting and tried to hit me.” – “Customer spat on me and grabbed my shirt.”
Coventry & Warwickshire: “Verbal abuse due to lack of staff.” – “Customer has made fun of my appearance.” – “Customer threatened to throw brick through window.” – “A lady reached over the counter and grabbed me by the hair.”
Herefordshire: “Abused because the bread slicer in bakery was broken.” – “Checkout was closed so customer threw basket of shopping at me.” – “Physically assaulted by two men during a theft.”
Shropshire: “A customer spat in my face.” – “Mouthful of verbal, with bad language, mainly on self-scan when busy and can’t get to them straight away.” – “Being called an idiot.” – “Shouting in my face.”
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Retail trade union Usdaw is deeply concerned by the police recorded crime statistics showing that in in the year to March 2025, there were increases in shoplifting across the West Midlands. In the whole of England and Wales, there has been a trend of persistent quarterly increases, with incidents now having more than doubled since the pandemic.
The Office for National Statistics released figures today showing a 24% increase in shoplifting incidents across the West Midlands region. Individual statistics for the region’s constabulary areas are as follows:
71% (-6) have experienced verbal abuse.
48% (-5) were threatened by a customer.
- Staffordshire +28%
- Warwickshire +19%
- West Mercia -4%
- West Midlands +35%
Usdaw’s latest annual survey of nearly 9,500 retail staff showed that over three-quarters had suffered verbal abuse and far too many had been threatened or assaulted. Two-thirds of respondents said that incidents of violence, threats and abuse they had experienced were triggered by theft or armed robbery.
Paddy Lillis, Usdaw general secretary says: “The scale of the epidemic of retail crime in the West Midlands is laid bare in these shocking police recorded crime statistics and Usdaw’s own survey. It is increasingly common for retail stores to be targeted by organised crime gangs stealing to order. This is in no way a victimless crime, with weapons and violence used to ensure these criminals are not stopped. Having to deal with repeated and persistent offences can cause issues beyond the theft itself, like anxiety, fear and physical harm to retail workers.
“We have campaigned along with many retail employers for substantial legislative measures to combat this growing problem, and we are pleased that the Government has introduced the Crime and Policing Bill, with measures to tackle this issue. It has passed all stages in the House of Commons and is now waiting for a second reading in the House of Lords.
“We now look forward to a much-needed protection of retail workers’ law; ending the indefensible £200 threshold for prosecuting shoplifters, which has effectively become an open invitation to retail criminals; and funding for more uniformed officer patrols in shopping areas, along with Respect Orders for offenders. It is our hope that these new measures will help give retail workers the respect they deserve.”
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is one of the fastest growing unions in the TUC and the UK’s fifth biggest trade union with around 360,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades www.usdaw.org.uk
Crime in England and Wales statistics show that in the year to March 2021 (during the pandemic), there were 228,250 police-recorded incidents of shoplifting. These statistics show a rise of 132% since then to 530,643 by March this year. In the year to March 2024 there were 443,995 recorded shoplifting offences, marking a 20% increase over the last twelve months.
Usdaw’s annual survey of 9,481 retail staff found that in the last twelve months:
- 77% have experienced verbal abuse.
- 53% were threatened by a customer.
- 10% were assaulted.
Full report: www.usdaw.org.uk/FFFReport2024
Usdaw’s Freedom From Fear Campaign seeks to prevent violence, threats and abuse against workers by engaging the public, shop workers and the Government.
Usdaw condemns highest ever levels of theft from shops and the impact on retail workers
The 2024 annual crime survey findings, show the highest ever levels of levels of theft from shops, with a shocking 5.6 million incidents, smashing the previous record of 1.1 million in 2023.
USDAW shopworkers’ trade union leader Paddy Lillis is deeply concerned by the latest findings of the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) annual crime survey.
The ACS 2024 Crime Report, outlines the scale of the retail crime crisis blighting communities across the UK. The report reveals that retailers have recorded over 600 incidents of theft an hour over the last year. It also highlights a huge increase in violent incidents committed against retailers and their colleagues. Over the last year, there have been around 76,000 incidents of violence in shops compared to 41,000 in 2023. Full ACS Crime Report: www.acs.org.uk/research/crime-report-2024
ACS make the point that retailers are doing what they can to fight back by investing in crime prevention and detection measures, with £339m spent over the last year in areas like CCTV, security staff, intruder alarms and internal communication systems, but the figures released today send a clear message to the Government, local forces and police leaders that more action is needed.
Paddy Lillis, General Secretary of Usdaw, says: “It is deeply disturbing that the level of incidents faced by retail workers is now higher than ever, according to the ACS annual crime survey. Violence and abuse are not an acceptable part of the job and too many shopworkers suffer all too often. This growing retail crime epidemic must be tackled and it is essential that the Government takes substantial action.
“Shoplifting is not a victimless crime, theft from shops has long been a major flashpoint for violence and abuse against shopworkers. Having to deal with repeated and persistent shoplifters can cause issues beyond the theft itself like anxiety, fear and in some cases physical harm to retail workers. This huge increase in shoplifting is further evidence that we are facing an epidemic of retail crime, which is hugely concerning.
“The UK Government has repeatedly failed to act in the face of an epidemic of retail crime, rising theft from shops and assaults against retail workers. It is disappointing that they have no measures in their legislative programme to tackle this issue. We support Labour’s attempts to amend the Government’s Criminal Justice Bill, so that the law is strengthened to protect shopworkers from violence, threats and abuse.
“A protection of shopworkers law is also supported by many retailers. It already exists in Scotland and has secured over 500 convictions. We also welcome Labour’s commitments to 13,000 more neighbourhood police with guaranteed patrols in town centres, respect orders to ban repeat offenders and ending the £200 threshold for investigating and prosecuting shop theft. Labour is clearly offering the change our members need.”
West Midlands shopworkers speak out after an Usdaw survey (March 23) shows high levels of violence, threats and abuse.
Retail trade union Usdaw has published shocking statistics from their annual survey of retail staff, which show that in the West Midlands over the last twelve months:
• 73.1% have experienced verbal abuse.
• 48% were threatened by a customer.
• 6.5% were assaulted.
The full report can be found at: https://www.usdaw.org.uk/FFFReport2022
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK’s fifth biggest trade
union with around 360,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the
union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical
industry and other trades.
These are some of the comments West Midlands shopworkers shared when responding to Usdaw’s survey:
Coventry & Warwickshire: “Most of the time I get abuse when doing reductions.” –
“Customer refused alcohol, believed he was drunk, walked around the till to get to me.” –
“Customer yelled at me, shoved me to the ground and kicked me.”
Herefordshire: “I was threatened and followed out of car park.” – “Was shoved to the side by
a man who wanted something and didn’t want to wait.” – “Lady got upset and swore at me
and threw here shopping basket at me.”
Shropshire: “Young lady punched me in the arm.” – “Mostly verbal abuse from shoplifting or
from Think-25.” – “Throwing products, threatened to smack me in the face.” – “Swearing and
throwing things, told to catch Covid and die, racial abuse.”
Staffordshire: “Verbal abuse every single day, threats of physical violence and had a
shoplifter attempt to punch me.” – “Stock thrown at me, shoplifters barging past me
aggressively and kicking.” – “Shoplifter came in armed with a house brick.”
WM: “Arm grabbed by drunk customer.” – “Having abuse of a few ladies over daffodils, no
flower bags.” – “told to ‘f**k off’ after the customer dropped milk and blamed me.” – “Abuse for
asking for ID for Red Bull drinks more than anything.”
Worcestershire: “On self-service tills, drunken customer and girlfriend, big problems with
paying for bags.” – “Abuse/threats by a group of youths who came in trying to steal and
terrorise the store.” – “Verbal abuse when refusing alcohol to customers.”
Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary says: “It is heart-breaking to hear these
testimonies from local shopworkers who deserve far more respect than they receive. Our
latest survey results clearly show the scale of the appalling violence, threats and abuse faced
by shopworkers.
“It is shocking that over 7 in 10 of our members working in retail are suffering abuse from
customers, with far too many experiencing threats and violence. While Covid triggers for
abuse, such as face masks and social distancing, have gone; the level of incidents faced by
retail workers across the UK is now higher than before the pandemic.
“Violence and abuse is not an acceptable part of the job. Our message to shopworkers is
clear, ‘report it to sort it’. Having secured new protection of workers laws in Westminster,
there is still much more to do. The Government must provide the co-ordination needed to
ensure that retail employers, police and the courts work together to make stores safer places
for our members to work.”
Final results of the Usdaw 2022 survey, based on 7,752 responses, show that (West Midlands results in brackets based on 910 responses):
74.3% (73.1%) were verbally abused, 49.3% (48%) were threatened. 7.9% (6.5%) had been assaulted.
| UK comparison | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| Abuse | 68% | 88% | 89% | 74% |
| Threats | 43% | 61% | 63% | 49% |
| Violence | 5% | 9% | 12% | 8% |
Usdaw’s Freedom from Fear Campaign seeks to prevent violence, threats and abuse
against workers by engaging the public, shopworkers and the Government. https://www.usdaw.org.uk/Campaigns/Freedom-From-Fear