Inside the

Violence on the high street has soared to such an extent that one in 10 retailers have now had staff threatened by a weapon-wielding thug in the past year. Brazen criminals are now routinely using weapons to intimidate staff as they attempt to steal goods from the nation’s hard-pressed army of retailers, with frontline staff on the brunt of the violent upsurge.

The damning finding is revealed in exclusive date obtained for the Daily Express’ Stop The Shoplifters crusade by insurers NFU Mutual who have found that 80% of retailers have suffered from crime in the last 12 months. And three-quarters of retailers say despite increased awareness of government promises, crime continues to be on the rise. But amongst the stream of worrying findings is the increasing danger of physical assault being a common occurrence on the high street. And violence against retailers continues to blight the UK’s high streets, with criminals regularly using weapons to intimidate staff and commit offences.

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More than one in 10 retailers revealed that they have had employees threatened with weapons in the last year, with one in 20 shockingly saying they or their staff have actually been attacked with them.

Whether it includes the threat of weapons or not, one in six retailers were physically abused by offenders. Staff and retailers across the country are also subject to extreme vitriol, with 45% of those surveyed saying that they had suffered verbal assault in the last year.

The findings come as no surprise to the nation’s beleaguered shopkeepers, who continue to battle against the scourge of crime, with 85% targeted by criminals in the last 12 months alone.

In a quintessential mid-Suffolk village, Bildeston Village Stores and Post Office sits proudly on the High Street, having served the community since 1827.

Historically the store, nestled in the heart of a local community, experienced hardly any high crime, but owner Phillip Alcoe has now seen two major break-ins in as many years as the battle against retail crime stretches to all parts of the UK.

Since 2017 Philip, alongside his wife Helen, have managed and lived above the shop in a county he had grown up in.

But after seven years without trouble their peace was shattered in February 2024, when thieves arrived at 2am armed with a hammer and smashed a hole through the heavy-duty glass front door. Ten minutes later they returned, again with a hammer, before they “kung-fu kicked” the whole glass pane in before ransacking the store.

“I am convinced that if you get into somewhere where it is dark, you would be looking around for things – but watching the CCTV they knew exactly where everything was,” Philip said. “They absolutely cleared us out of cigarettes and alcohol and off they went.”

The store’s alarm system alerted police and staff to the break-in, however in between them arriving at the scene, the crooks had returned for a third time to further raid the store – this time helping themselves to the cash tin.

On the back of that, the 62-year-old had a bullet-proof glass pane installed in a bid to deter thieves. But nearly two years to the day of the first raid, Bildeston Village Stores was targeted again – only this time it felt far more vulnerable.

Phillip’s daughter and son-in-law, along with their young children, were staying over when they heard a bang on the front window downstairs. Roughly 20 minutes later there was a “colossal bang” through the glass – with the offender once again targeting the alcohol before Philip’s son-in-law jumped up and down on the floor to alert the intruder, forcing the thief to make a quick get-away.

“It’s a massive invasion of privacy,” Philip said. “We put so much pride and effort to running a retail shop – working 90-hour weeks. My wife and I work flat out and to have it destroyed just like that is the most soul-destroying feeling you can get.

“Am I going to sell the shop, though, and get out because of this? Absolutely not. Some of the people in that shop have worked there for 40 years. For shopkeepers, it’s totally soul-destroying.”

Philip, who has had to spend £10,000 on additional security following the break-ins, said his venture into retail was “the hardest thing I have ever done”.

“These criminals are clueless as to what it takes to run a shop,” he added. “People need to know and be aware that retail crime is happening so much as it is depressing for those of us in the industry – you just don’t hear much about it.”

Among the most common types of crimes suffered, according to those surveyed, were shoplifting, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage.

However, in a further threat to livelihoods, a quarter of those retailers also said that goods or cash had been stolen from them by an employee.

Zoe Knight, Head of Commercial at NFU Mutual, said: “Once again, our research into this ongoing scourge highlights the daily issues and problems the hard-working retailers up and down the country are facing.

“It is perhaps no surprise to see that three-quarters of those surveyed believe retail crime has increased over the last 12 months, with almost half of those saying it had risen substantially. The fact that just 4% thought it had decreased speaks volumes.

“Brazen criminals continue to cause havoc for the industry and even resort to violence against honest people trying to serve their community. We would always recommend additional security – both physical and technological – where possible and investing in adequate cover to ensure a good level of protection for your business.”

For more than three-quarters surveyed, it is not just a one-off either; 77% of retailers had been repeat victims of crime in the last 12 months and, alarmingly, 28% said they suffered more than six times in the same timeframe.

All of this not only takes an emotional and physical toll on retailers, but a huge financial burden as well. The average cost of crime over the last 12 months was £46,500 – with one in 20 retailers surveyed saying it had cost them more than a whopping £200,000.

Zoe added: “The figures involved in this research show just how damaging and difficult this ongoing issue is for the industry. It is a problem that needs eradicating and something that should be stamped out of the high street.”