The head of the retailer John Lewis has labelled the rise in shoplifting in Britain as an "epidemic," with the owner of Primark also joining calls for authorities to take action due to its impact on profit margins.
Sharon White, the chair of the John Lewis Partnership, which owns department stores and Waitrose supermarkets, revealed that incidents of shoplifting have doubled in the past year. She described the situation as an "epidemic" and urged the UK government to establish a commission to address the challenges faced by town centres, which risk becoming targets for brazen shoplifters and organized groups.
George Weston, the CEO of Associated British Foods (ABF.L), the parent company of Primark, echoed these concerns. He stated that the fashion chain has increased investments in security measures, including security guards, CCTV, and equipping staff with body cameras to combat in-store theft. Weston noted that some of the thefts were quite organized, and there has also been a rise in anti-social behaviour at Primark stores.
These remarks align with earlier statements from Tesco CEO Ken Murphy, who recently announced that the largest supermarket chain in Britain was providing body cameras to staff who required them in response to rising incidents of shoplifting.