Consumers support tougher action to tackle shoplifting, including the use of facial recognition technology and banning repeat offenders from returning to shops, according to a survey conducted by market research agency The Harris Poll UK.
More than eight in ten people (82%) agree that shoplifting is not a victimless crime and has real consequences for businesses and retail workers, while 85% support the idea of restriction zones that would prevent known shoplifters from returning to stores they have previously targeted.
Nearly four in five respondents (79%) believe shoplifting is mostly carried out by repeat offenders, while 78% say offenders are taking advantage of weak enforcement from the police and legal system.
The public is also open to facial recognition and AI technology, revealed the survey, with more than three quarters of people (77%) agreeing that facial recognition and AI technology should be used to alert shop staff when repeat shoplifters enter stores.
Almost three quarters of respondents (73%) believe shoplifting is often associated with intimidation or threats towards staff, highlighting the wider impact of retail crime beyond stolen goods.
However, many consumers believed retailers themselves could do more to prevent shoplifting with 68% saying shops should be taking stronger steps to reduce theft, whether through improved security, better staff protection or the use of new technologies.
This comes despite retailers having spent over £5bn in the last five years on improved security measures, from CCTV, to security staff, to improved data collection, according to the British Retail Consortium.
Steve Brockway, Chief Research Officer at the Harris Poll UK, said: “Consumers clearly recognise that shoplifting has real consequences for businesses and the people working in stores. The strong support for banning repeat offenders from shops shows that many people believe tougher preventative measures are needed.
“What’s also particularly interesting is the level of support for technology like facial recognition to identify repeat offenders. While it can sometimes be seen as controversial, many consumers appear to view it as a practical way to help retailers identify repeat offenders and protect staff. This demonstrates that when AI is seen as helping reduce crime, rather than a surveillance gathering tool, the outcomes are reframed for consumers.”
The British Retail Consortium has reported that there were 5.5 million detected incidents of shoplifting last year, costing retailers nearly £400m. And with many incidents going undetected, the true cost is likely to be much higher.
