Poundland brings in new undercover staff and bodycams to tackle shoplifting
14 January 2025, 10:20
Poundland has said it is plugging more money than ever into new security measures to tackle retail crime after losing more than £40 million worth of stock last year.
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The bargain retailer, which sells a large proportion of its products for £1 or less, said it had been a particular target of theft and abuse.
The fresh round of investment will include kitting out staff with anti-theft technology, such as body-worn cameras in shops with the most prolific crime issues.
A trial run by the retailer found that the cameras drove an 11% decrease in violence against staff, as well as a reduction in shoplifting.
Poundland, which has more than 800 stores in the UK, said the rate of theft and abuse against workers had "accelerated significantly" across its shops over the past 18 months.
Last month, Poundland owner Pepco revealed that the loss of stock had become a major issue for the retailer.
Stock shrinkage - which can include theft and shoplifting - amounted to about 52 million euros (£44 billion) over the past year, up 30% over the last two years, Pepco said.
This came alongside weaker sales for food and general merchandise, which prompted the group to take steps to bolster its financial performance, including lowering prices for customers and increasing cost savings.
As well as bodycams and headsets for staff to communicate quickly when incidents occur, Poundland said it was working more closely with local police to crack down on offenders and recruiting more undercover security guards.
Official figures released in October showed that shoplifting in England and Wales had hit a new 20-year high.
Nearly 470,000 offences were logged by police forces in the year to June 2024, up 29% on the previous year, and the highest annual figure since current records began in 2003.
Poundland said its low prices and high-street locations made it a prime target for shoplifting.
Rolling out the technology and resources marked the business's biggest investment in tackling retail crime, although it did not disclose the value of this spending.
