Retailers across Australia and New Zealand are calling for increased focus on tackling retail crime.
The National Retail Association (NRA) claims that governments are leaving Australian retailers unsupported in the face of rising crime, customer violence and aggression.
NRA special advisor the Hon Trevor Evans said a small number of repeat offenders are responsible for most high-harm retail crimes.
“Whilst the vast majority of Australian customers are doing the right thing, we are all paying the costs associated with growing retail crime," Evans said.
“Retailers have a duty of care to their workers and customers, which they take very seriously.”
As part of its four-point action plan to reduce retail crime, National Retail is asking for laws that provide businesses with better access to technology to prevent crime.
“Australian privacy laws must be reviewed so shopping centres and retailers can unlock the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to cut crime and improve safety,” he said.
“Businesses should be able to use CCTV and AI technology, such as facial recognition and number plate recognition, to prevent offenders from getting through the door, or to call police when we predict another crime is about to be committed.
“Allowing the use of AI to identify and respond to repeat offenders in shopping precincts enhances the rights of genuine shoppers—particularly the right to safety and the right to not have to pay the price of crime.”
The push comes days after retailer Bunnings Warehouse released CCTV footage of staff appearing to be copping abuse from customers, after the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner found that Bunnings breached Australians’ privacy with a facial recognition tool.
Meanwhile, in New Zealand, retailer Foodstuffs’ North Island has been trialling facial recognition technology through 2024, which showed positive early results in reducing crime.
Evans said the use of these technologies have shown a reduction in repeat offending, in Australia and globally.
“It’s up to governments to ensure laws keep pace with the available technology,” Evans said.
“Current laws aren’t doing enough to tackle the growing rates of retail crime, leaving retail workers and customers powerless against violent offenders.
"Current laws are also leaving businesses in limbo, when we could be giving them confidence and appropriate guardrails to harness the benefits of new technology.
“The retail sector's workforce is predominantly female, and retail is the largest employer of young people—a group that is often on the frontline of these traumatic incidents.”
According to NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, retail store theft has increased by 30.7 per cent over the ten years to June 2024, up 3 per cent per year on average. This rose in two of 13 regional locations and five of 15 Greater Sydney locations.
Compared to the prior year, retail store theft has lifted by just over 2,000 to 27,953 recorded incidents.
Meanwhile, peak body Retail NZ is calling for crimes against any retail worker to be treated seriously by the New Zealand justice system.
Appearing before the Justice Select Committee last week, Retail NZ CEO Carolyn Young said the recently reviewed Sentencing (Reform) Amendment Bill did not go far enough in deterring crime against retail workers.
According to NZ Parliament, the bill aims to strengthen the consequences of offending, including limiting the use of sentence reductions to 40 per cent, amend sentencing principles to account for information provided by victims, prevent repeat use of sentence reductions for youth and for remorse, and encourage the use of cumulative sentencing.
The bill also proposes the introduction of new aggravating factors at sentencing to address concerns about crime against sole charge workers, and those whose home and business are connected.
“We find it difficult to justify treating one retail worker differently to another, depending on where they work,” Young said.
“Almost every retail worker has been affected by crime and aggression, whether they are sole charge or not. On a daily basis, retailers of all sizes are dealing with threatening, violent or simply unpleasant customers, who are trying to steal or damage their property.”
Many New Zealanders enter the workforce in a retail position. According to Young, nobody wants to see young people put in danger or have bad experiences in their first job.
“Crime is traumatic for those directly involved and their colleagues, whether they are working in a small store alongside one or two others, or in large supermarkets or big-box outlets,” she said.
The consequences are serious risks to physical health, injuries and in the worst cases, death. There is also a major negative impact on the mental health and wellbeing of retail workers.
Young added that frontline retail is perceived as a more dangerous and less desirable place to work, leading to staff retention issues, and higher recruitment and training costs, along with increased costs of security personnel and loss prevention technology.