Pret A Manger has launched body-worn cameras for its workers in a bid to fight the sharp rise in shoplifting and assaults on retail staff.
The espresso store chain has begun a trial in six of its London retailers, the place staff leaders and managers will put on the cameras. Indicators have been positioned in these areas to tell clients of the brand new measure.
This initiative comes as UK retailers face rising challenges with post-pandemic crime, which has led to important monetary losses and heightened safety issues. In accordance with the Workplace for Nationwide Statistics, over 430,000 circumstances of shoplifting have been reported in England and Wales final yr, marking the very best quantity since data started in 2003. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) estimates that retail theft might price as much as £2 billion in 2024, doubling the losses from 2023.
The rise in retail crime has additionally been accompanied by a surge in violence in opposition to staff. The BRC experiences that incidents of violence and abuse in direction of retail workers have elevated by 50% over the previous yr, with an alarming 1,300 circumstances recorded every day.
Pret’s spokesperson confirmed that the physique cameras, launched final month, will solely be activated underneath particular circumstances and will probably be managed by Pret’s safety staff. The transfer follows related actions by different organisations, reminiscent of Lidl, which invested £2 million in physique cameras for all UK workers, and English Heritage, which has outfitted workers with cameras in response to elevated anti-social behaviour at historic websites.
This trial of physique cameras is a part of Pret’s broader efforts to handle safety and operational challenges following the pandemic. The chain lately introduced a major shift in its standard espresso subscription service, which is able to finish in September. Initially launched through the pandemic, the service allowed members to get pleasure from 5 free barista-made drinks every day. Nonetheless, as a result of inflationary pressures, the subscription price rose from £20 to £30 earlier than being discontinued. It will likely be changed by a brand new scheme providing half-price drinks for £10 a month.
Pret has additionally responded to buyer suggestions by lowering the costs of a few of its best-selling sandwiches and meals choices, addressing criticism of its excessive costs.
The physique digicam trial, whereas circuitously linked to the current far-Proper riots that affected British excessive streets, displays a rising concern amongst retailers concerning the security of their workers and the safety of their companies in an more and more difficult setting. As Labour chief Sir Keir Starmer has made retail crime a focus of his manifesto, promising to create a standalone offence for assaulting store staff, the difficulty stays firmly within the public eye.
