Throughout 2011, the number of robberies in British convenience stores increased by 102 percent from 207 to 419 cases in the 3112 stores responding to the 2011 ACS Crime Survey. The cost per instance, however, fell from £2,880 ($4,631) to £1,252 ($2,013).
Key findings of the survey showed that:
- · The total cost of staff theft rose 142 percent, and cost per instance rose 90 percent.
- · Convenience store robberies accounted for more than half of all retail robberies in 2011.
- · Till snatches were at their lowest rate since the ACS Survey started in 2008.
- · Burglaries were up 40 percent, and they account for 83 percent of the total cost of convenience crime since 2008.
- · Crimes were most likely to be reported in this order, from most to least likely: Burglary, till snatches, violence, anti-social behavior, shop theft, and verbal abuse.
According to ACS Chief Executive James Lowman, “The level of crime being experienced by convenience retailers continues to rise, but considerable investment in crime prevention measures has led to a decline in the number of till snatches and the value of stock lost in robberies. The message to criminals is clear: targeting convenience stores is becoming less profitable.
“In the survey, verbal abuse was found to be the least likely crime to be reported to the police, followed closely by shop theft,” Lowman continued in the survey. “We must ensure that these offences are punished and not just swept under the rug.”
