After last weeks SGF Crime Seminar, we thought it was important to highlight the sobering reality facing our industry as revealed in the new 2025/26 Crime Report & Safer Business Guide.
A Sector Under Siege The latest figures confirm that retail crime in Scotland is no longer just a financial burden, it is a public health crisis. The report estimates that shop theft now costs the convenience sector a staggering £54.5 million annually, with the average store losing over £10,400 per year. Shoplifting is now described as a "daily occurrence" by nearly every retailer surveyed.
The Human Cost Beyond the balance sheet, the impact on staff wellbeing is devastating:
78% of retailers report an increase in physical violence toward workers.
Over 77% of stores now have staff members suffering from mental health or wellbeing issues directly linked to workplace crime.
Abuse is almost guaranteed when performing basic duties, with 99.4% of staff facing weekly hostility when refusing sales or asking for ID.
A Call for Urgent Action SGF Chief Executive Dr. Pete Cheema, OBE, has described the situation as a "public safety emergency hiding in plain sight." With hate crimes occurring monthly in over 80% of stores and a widespread lack of confidence in the overstretched legal system, PGMA joins the call for the Government to expand the Retail Crime Taskforce.
Offenders must face consequences, and our frontline workers must be protected.
Find the full findings and safety strategies here.
