Criminals ‘systematically’ targeting UK shops, costing £400m last year, say retailers

British Retail Consortium warns over ‘endemic’ violence towards shop workers and says theft is causing anxietyCriminal gangs are “systematically” targeting shops, retailers have warned, with 5.5m incidents of shoplifting detected last year, costing the industry an estimated £400m.The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has warned over “endemic” violence towards shop workers – who faced an average 36 incidents of violence involving a weapon every day last year – and said high levels of theft was causing “anxiety” among retail staff. Continue reading…