The number of shop robberies involving a weapon outnumbered unarmed attacks last year. Better Retailing’s sister title, Retail Express, analysed Freedom of Information (FOI) responses from 17 police forces, outlining the number of reported robberies across independent shops and supermarkets in England and Wales, and the weapons used between 2022 and 2023. Thirteen forces refused to respond.

Of the reports where a weapon could be identified, there were 147 attacks in 2023 where a gun, blunt or sharp object was involved, compared to an annual reduction of unarmed attacks from 68 to 15 in the same period. Armed instances in 2023 represented a 3% annual rise from 2022.

More specifically, sharp weapons – which include blades, glass bottles and screwdrivers – were the most used instrument at 98 instances (up 6%), followed by unidentified weapons at 33 (up 39%), firearms at 14 (down 64%) and blunt weaponry such as a baseball bat at two, down from seven.

Hotspots

Overall, the total number of robberies between 2022 and 2023 across independents and supermarkets rose from 552 to 642. Independents accounted for 325 of the total incidents last year, up from 306.

Of the FOI data supplied, the north of England and the Midlands were the biggest robbery hotspots last year. On average, both regions accounted for 40% of total incidents each, at 237 and 280 attacks, respectively. The West Midlands experienced the most crime in 2023 at 182 (up 15%), followed by Merseyside at 103 (down 9%), Northamptonshire at 57 (up 11%), Cleveland at 52 (up 31%) and Dorset at 38 (up 66%).

Some retailers told Retail Express they were seeing weapons used more commonly in store robberies, which had become a “daily” threat for them.

Read the full story in the 21 May edition of Retail Express. Order your copy here.