The Co-operative Group has revealed how four workers are attacked every day at their stores, as the cost of shoplifting surged by nearly a fifth to £40million in the first half of this year alone.
The member-owned mutual has spent £18million so far this year on measures to help protect staff in its food business, including rolling out body-worn cameras and fortified kiosks.
But despite this, it took a hit of £39.5 million from theft and fraud in its shops in the first half – up 19% on a year earlier – even as it ramped up campaigning on the issue.
This comes after it was revealed in April that the Co-op has been hit with more than 300,000 cases of shoplifting and abuse in the last year, with staff being targeted 1,000 times a day.
Matt Hood, managing director of Co-op Food, said: ‘It isn’t going away. The reality is that every day four of our colleagues are attacked, up 34% on 2022, and scarily a further 115 of my colleagues will be seriously abused, up 37% on two years ago.’
Lucile Willett, 34, was filmed assaulting and spitting on staff at a co-op store in Faversham, Kent
The thug kicks the male staff member, spits on him and then tries to hit him with a shopping basket she has grabbed in the melee
A suspected shoplifter was filmed being chased through a Co-op store in Edgeley near Stockport, Greater Manchester
But as he reached the exit of the shop, he encounters this courageous Co-op worker who pushes him back inside
He added, however, that the investments they are making ‘are working’ and ‘our colleagues feel safer and we’re making them safer’.
Earlier this month, vile footage emerged of a serial shoplifter kicking, spitting on and hitting a Co-op worker with a basket.
Lucile Willett, 34, was filmed carrying out the shocking act after being confronted for attempting to steal items from the shop in Faversham, Kent.
The prolific thief was later arrested and charged with theft, assault by beating and criminal damage.
Just a few weeks prior, an enraged shop worker was been dubbed ‘Superwoman’ after she tackled a suspected thief in a firm-handed display of justice.
The woman was caught on camera pinning the alleged crook against the wall after he attempted to sprint out of a Co-op store in Edgeley, Stockport.
Wearing a baseball cap and Nike jumper, the man was filmed being chased through the store by three members of staff.
To add to that, a shoplifter was filmed brazenly filling a huge bag full of stolen booze before sneering at staff the month prior.
In yet another damning view of Lawless London, a thief was caught helping himself to more than a dozen bottles of wine from Co-Op in Lavender Hill, Wandsworth.
The 64-second clip has since gone viral and shows the man, dressed in a white hoody, swiping booze and stuffing it into a large black duffel bag as a Co-Op worker watches on. powerless to stop the raid.
The woman – dubbed ‘Superwoman’ – then looks to pin the man against the wall as she demands him to hand over the goods in his hands
Shocking video footage captured the moment a shoplifter was caught dumping more than a dozen wine bottles into a bag before making his escape
The brazen thief appeared to struggle to get out the Co-op in Lavender Hill, Wandsworth, with his heavy ruck sack, weighed down by stolen booze
The terrifying footage shows the machete wielding gang robbing a Co-op store in London in February. The footage has been released by the Co-op amid the launch of a new campaign demanding that attacks on shop staff be treated as a new standalone offence
Co-op chief executive Shirine Khoury-Haq said she was delighted that the Government is set to change the law to make shoplifting a standalone offence, but the group said it needs to come into effect ‘as soon as possible’.
The comments came as it said it returned to a half-year profit despite the hit from shoplifting and a soaring wage bill.
The retail-to-funerals business reported pre-tax profits of £58 million for the first six months of 2024, against losses of £33 million a year ago, and said its stronger balance sheet would allow it to expand with new stores and possible acquisitions.
Food sales rose 3.2% across its retail stores as its membership base jumped by a fifth to 5.5 million, helping drive a 10% increase in underlying earnings at the division, to £85 million.
Co-op’s half-year results showed that its wage costs jumped £39 million as it hiked pay to match April’s 9.8% rise in the national living wage.
However, it has been buoyed by rising numbers of members as it invested £55 million in prices, putting it on track to reach its goal of eight million members by 2030.
Having returned to profit, the group also set out plans to open another 120 new retail stores by the end of next year across the UK.
Ms Khoury-Haq said the group would also consider acquisitions as it looks to grow.
‘All of our options are open. We continue to scan the market and where a good opportunity comes up we will look at it very strongly,’ she said.
‘I’m delighted that two years into my tenure we are in a position to do that.’