The National Business Crime Centre (NBCC) has released a series of training videos aimed at better protecting staff working in the retail sector. 

The four videos are designed to support and empower staff when dealing with challenging customers and situations, and have the potential to escalate into abusive or violent confrontations. 

NBCC head of operations Supt Patrick Holdaway said: “The reality is most shop workers regularly face abuse, threats and physical violence. 

“Many of them work for small independent retailers who don’t have the resources or budget to provide them with the training and tools they need to deal with these situations. 

“We recognise there is a gap, and commissioned a suite of four training videos covering the most likely issues shopworkers have to deal with.” 

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The short animations provide retail staff with practical advice and strategies to deal with issues they are likely to face, including interacting with suspected thieves; saying ‘no’; personal safety and de-escalation; and dealing with disruptive and anti-social behaviour. 

Supt Holdaway added: “We will be working with our partners in retail to promote the videos and we encourage anyone who owns or manages a retail outlet to use this free resource to equip their staff with the skills and resilience to do everything they can to stay safe.” 

The Fed national president Jason Birks said: “The safety of our members, their families and their staff is paramount, and retail crime therefore remains a top priority in our political agenda. 

“The Fed welcomes the videos provided by the NBCC, and I urge our members and their staff to watch them.” 

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London district president Kishore Chandarana said the cost-of-living crisis had put crime on the agenda in many districts: “Members are very concerned, so advice is welcome. Your life is more important than your stock, but with retailers having to cut back on staff to navigate the cost-of-trading crisis, dealing with shoplifters has become more worrying.” 

Meanwhile, The Fed has also been stepping up it’s awareness campaign to tackle retail crime. 

Following a visit last month to Bedfordshire’s police and crime commissioner (PCC), The Fed has written to PCCs for Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Swindon, and Devon and Cornwall, with a response received from the latter. 

“We are inviting both to meet with members to discuss the impact retail crime has on members and their communities, and to ask for their help in tackling it,” Birks added. 

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