The Warehouse Group is training staff in the use of new protective equipment, as well as hiring additional security staff, in an effort to improve the safety of its stores. 

The business is currently undertaking a trial of these new systems, where some staff members are wearing different uniforms and personal protective equipment, including safety cameras. 

“The safety of our customers and our team members is paramount, and we are always looking at ways to improve our systems and processes,” The Warehouse’s national loss prevention manager Phil Morley said. 

According to Morely, The Warehouse has put signage up throughout stores warning customers that there is video and CCTV operating. 

Retail crime on the rise

The added security will likely assist in the identification of shoplifters, with research recently finding customers are responsible for 57 per cent of retail crime – and that statistic is on the rise, up 16 per cent in less than two years.

The Australia and New Zealand retail crime survey, conducted by Aptus Research, found that the average reported crime-related losses in FY18 was 0.92 per cent of revenue, which amounts to A$3.37 billion. 

Employee theft accounted for about 22 per cent of total loss, supplier fraud at 6 per cent, and non-criminal reasons which accounted for 15 per cent. 

“Many people think that retail crime is a victimless crime – that the large retailers build expected losses into their profit margin – but it couldn’t be further from the truth,” said Dr Emmeline Taylor, lead researcher and reader in criminology at City University of London, in a statement.

Taylor said thieves report retail crime as being “easy to get away with” and that the “reward greatly outweighs the risk”.

According to Taylor, thieves were getting more brazen, and had started intimidating staff and pushing customers out of the way to reach stock.