Independents' Day: Nisa MD reiterates call for tough action on retail crime

With Independents’ Day weekend falling 6 and 7 July, Nisa managing director Peter Batt has written an open letter, calling for tougher sanctions to tackle the challenge of retail crime.

The event presents an opportunity to celebrate the important role independent retailers and convenience stores play on the high streets and in the local communities across the UK, he added.

“The plight of retail crime has been rightly pushed to the top of the news agenda over the past 12 months, led brilliantly by the Co-op and Nisa. Our teams at Nisa hear on a weekly basis from retailers dealing with the ongoing challenge of shoplifting, and the impact that is having both financially and on their own wellbeing,” Batt wrote.

He recounted a distressing incident at a Nisa store in Dunfermline, Scotland, where staff thwarted an armed robbery attempt. “On this occasion, brave store workers managed to apprehend the offender until the police could attend but we know this isn’t the case in the vast majority of incidents,” he said, reiterating the call for new specific offense for violence against shop workers.

“We have called on tougher sanctions on criminals found guilty of retail crime and we would again call on the government following the general election to revisit the plans to introduce legislation to make attacks and assaults on shopworkers a standalone offence,” he said.

The UK experienced a 409 per cent increase in shoplifting last year, with 5.6 million incidents reported, translating to 600 thefts per hour. The financial toll on the wider retail sector nearly doubled, reaching £1.8 billion in 2023, according to the British Retail Consortium.

“The last few years have been immensely challenging for independent retailers, and certainly I know that Nisa’s retailers have gone above and beyond to support their local communities. The Independents’ Day weekend allows us to reflect on what an extraordinary part of the community independent retailers are to all our high streets,” he added.

Batt highlighted the work of Nisa’s Making a Difference Locally (MADL) charity, now in its 15th year,which has donated an impressive £17 million back into local communities. Last year alone, MADL contributed £925,000, positively impacting over 180,000 people.

He added that the independent retailers’ “unique ability” to adapt their offering to fit the wants and needs of their local community is a key attribute, particularly in today’s economic climate.

“I’ve been privileged to visit hundreds of stores over the past 12 months and despite the increased competition independents are facing on the high street, retailers are continuing to invest in their stores to provide an alternative shopping experience – something which can’t be replicated elsewhere,” he wrote.

“Yet there’s been no doubt in all those visits just how challenging it is for so many independent retailers. From energy costs to business rates, from rents to cost of living and consumer confidence, I’d argue that being an independent retailer has rarely been tougher, which is why I’m so committed to supporting our retail partners.”