Body Cams Become Popular Tool in Fighting Retail Crime
Battling Retail Crime with Tech: Body-Worn Cameras and Beyond
According to recently released figures, the number of shoplifting offences recorded by police in England and Wales has risen to the highest level on record, surpassing half a million offences for the first time in 2024. But what can be done to prevent their rise and can technology help?

According to the Office for National Statistics, a total of 516,971 shoplifting offences were recorded in England and Wales last year in 2024, a 20% increase on the 429,873 in 2023. This is the highest level of shoplifting since current police recording practices began in 2003, although retailers say the official figures “severely underestimate” the scale of the problem.

Indeed, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) suggests the actual figures could be nearly 8 million crimes annually, costing retailers close to £1 billion. Furthermore, of the shoplifting offences recorded, only 14% resulted in prosecution, and in over half of the cases (54%), no suspect was identified.

Increasing levels of violence

What’s even more worrying is that at the same time as rising incidents of shoplifting, we are also seeing increasing levels of violence against staff.  Convenience Stores (ACS) reported in its 2020 Crime Report that a quarter of violent incidents led to injury, with weapons used in almost 20% of cases.

In response, retailers are adopting various technologies, with body-worn cameras at the forefront, to help in the fight against crime. A large part of the problem reckons Professor Emmeline Taylor, a criminologist at London’s City University is inadequate police response. “Often there’s violence and aggression, even threats to kill, in these reports and yet a freedom of information request from the Co-Op showed that the police respond in less than 30% of cases,” Taylor says.

Body-Worn Cameras: A Frontline Defence

In response to this escalating crisis, retailers are increasingly turning to technology, particularly body-worn cameras. Once primarily used by security guards, these devices are now being adopted by a broader range of retail staff.

Recently the Co-Op, for example, announced a £70 million investment over three years in innovative technology, including body-worn cameras, following a significant rise in store crime and attacks on staff. Tesco is also providing body-worn cameras to its frontline staff, with Chief Executive Ken Murphy emphasizing that employees “deserve to be safe at work” after reporting more than 200 serious physical assaults on staff each month.  techdigest.tv


Theft Targeting Small Businesses
Small businesses dealing with shoplifting
Downtown Berkeley is home to approximately 680 small businesses, with more than half of the 200 start-up businesses located downtown. 14 of Berkeley’s 56 coffee houses are located in downtown Berkeley.

According to Berkeley police, retail theft rose 19 percent from 2022 to 2023, and have risen every year since 2016, which was the first year this data was available, rising 169 percent from 2016 to 2023. In 2023, businesses also reported $3.6 million in losses from theft.

With small businesses so close in vicinity to Berkeley High School students, how do they combat the rising shoplifting incidents?  berkeleyhighjacket.com


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5,283 Workplace Deaths in 2023
Union says inadequate workplace safety laws to blame

Deaths on the Job Continue, Says AFL-CIO

Union says inadequate workplace safety laws resulted in 5,283 deaths in 2023, and current policies won't fix that.

The AFL-CIO released its 34th annual “Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect” on April 23. The report analyzes the state of workers’ health and safety at the national and state levels.

Findings include:

• Inadequate workplace safety laws and policies resulted in the deaths of 5,283 workers on the job in 2023, the latest year of data available, and an estimated 135,304 workers from occupational diseases.

• Black and Latino workers are still disproportionately dying on the job, both at rates higher than the national job fatality rate.

• The report shows 659 Black worker deaths, the second-highest number in more than two decades.

• The report also shows 1,250 Latino worker deaths, making Latino workers the group at the greatest risk of dying on the job among all demographics.

The group says the national job fatality rate was slightly lower in 2023 than in 2022, due to strong pro-worker policies.

The union says that the fundamental right of every worker to come home safe at the end of their workday is under attack. “Workers fought and died for generations for the health and safety laws and protections we have today, and this year’s report shows we need to do even more," said Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO, in a statement. ehstoday.com


Panic -- Or Wait & See?
Retailers, shoppers navigate a shifting tariff landscape
President Donald Trump’s shifting stance on tariffs has created a volatile environment for both consumers and retailers. With some Chinese goods facing tariffs as high as 245% and a blanket 10% on most imports, the market is seeing rapid shifts in consumer behavior, supply chains, and strategic planning.

"There are basically two camps of consumers," said analyst Rachel Wolff on a recent “Behind the Numbers” podcast episode. "One camp is like, 'I need to get ahead of the tariffs. I need to buy my car now before it becomes exponentially more expensive. But then you have the other, saying, 'I'm going to hold my cards close to the chest and wait to see how bad things get.'"

Tariff confusion shakes consumer confidence

April’s tariff announcements sparked widespread uncertainty. What began as a 10% universal tariff soon expanded into country-specific measures, with Chinese goods facing the steepest increases. As a result, consumer behavior is diverging. Some are accelerating purchases anticipating higher prices, while others are delaying non-essential spending.

"I think people are weighing every single purchase decision that they make in a way that they probably weren't just a few months ago," said analyst Zak Stambor. emarketer.com


'Tough Needle to Thread'
Retail’s latest tariff challenge? Setting prices.

New levies are shaping up to be a holiday tax on consumers already touchy about spending. Careful analysis and clear communication are key.

Trade policy under President Trump has been in flux since January, so it’s often difficult to know what the cost of goods is, or will be. Plus, consumers, whose capacity to spend on discretionary items is already sorely tested, are on the lookout for deals and easily shun anything they deem overpriced. Lower-income shoppers are struggling to afford essentials, while higher-income ones are trading down to more affordable options.

This all makes pricing “a really tough needle to thread” and different from the tariffs instituted under the first Trump administration, which were more easily passed on, according to Ali Furman, consumer markets industry leader at PwC.

“You have to really weigh all your options to mitigate tariffs and protect your margin, inclusive of passing on price,” she said by video conference. “But we’re in a very different moment with today’s consumer than we were in 2018. And you know, no retailer wants to be the one that’s called out on social media as gouging the consumer.”   retaildive.com


Not All Retailers Will Suffer from Tariffs
Sellers of secondhand clothes prepare for tariffs to give their businesses a boost
Stores selling secondhand clothes, shoes and accessories are poised to benefit from President Donald Trump’strade war even as businesses the world over race to avert potential damage, according to industry experts.

American styles carry international influence, but nearly all of the clothing sold domestically is made elsewhere. The Yale University Budget Lab last week estimated short-term consumer price increases of 65% for clothes and 87% for leather goods, noting U.S. tariffs “disproportionately affect” those goods.

Such price hikes may drive cost-conscious shoppers to online resale sites, consignment boutiques and thrift stores in search of bargains or a way to turn their wardrobes into cash. Used items cost less than their new equivalents and only would be subject to tariffs if they come from outside the country. apnews.com


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