Retailers have faced a surge in theft, with losses escalating to £2.2bn, up from £1.8bn the previous year, according to the British Retail Consortium's survey.
Instances of assaults and abuse towards retail staff have soared by 340% since 2020/21, averaging over 2,000 incidents daily, many involving weapons, as highlighted in the survey.
The Co-op Group's initiatives, including the Pegasus partnership, have strengthened police involvement, raising attendance rates to 66% last year, according to Paul Gerrard.
Retail crime, as noted by Helen Dickinson OBE, is escalating uncontrollably, prompting a call for legislation to safeguard retail workers, a matter the government intends to address.