Poundland is plugging more money than ever into new security measures to tackle retail crime after losing more than £40 million worth of stock last year.
The value retailer, which sells a large proportion of its products for £1 or less, said it had been a particular target of theft and abuse.
The fresh round of investment will include kitting out staff with anti-theft technology, including the introduction of anti-theft technology and communication headsets for its staff across its store estate.
It is also investing in CCTV and rolling out Motorola Solutions VT100 body cameras to stores with the most significant crime issues.
The cameras, which provide a visual deterrent for offenders as well as recording incidents, have driven an 11% decline in violence against Poundland’s colleagues, alongside a marked reduction in shoplifting and theft, since their initial trial.
In a post on LinkedIn, Poundland said: “At Poundland, we’re committed to creating a safer shopping experience for our customers and a secure environment for our colleagues.
“So, we will be launching our ‘Retail Against Crime’ campaign this month—a bold approach to tackling theft and anti-social behaviour in our stores.
“This campaign is a commitment to protect our people and our community by actively challenging crime and creating an environment where theft and anti-social behaviour have no place. Together, we can make shopping in our communities safe and enjoyable, making retail crime a thing of the past.”
Poundland, which has more than 800 stores in the UK, said the rate of theft and abuse against workers had “accelerated significantly” across its shops over the past 18 months.
Last month, Poundland owner Pepco revealed that the loss of stock had become a major issue for the retailer.
Stock shrinkage – which can include theft and shoplifting – amounted to about €52 million (£44 billion) over the past year, up 30% over the last two years, Pepco said.
This came alongside weaker sales for food and general merchandise, which prompted the group to take steps to bolster its financial performance, including lowering prices for customers and increasing cost savings.
As well as bodycams and headsets for staff to communicate quickly when incidents occur, Poundland said it was working more closely with local police to crack down on offenders and recruiting more undercover security guards.
Official figures released in October showed that shoplifting in England and Wales had hit a new 20-year high.
Nearly 470,000 offences were logged by police forces in the year to June 2024, up 29% on the previous year, and the highest annual figure since current records began in 2003.
Poundland said its low prices and high-street locations made it a prime target for shoplifting.
Rolling out the technology and resources marked the business’s biggest investment in tackling retail crime, although it did not disclose the value of this spending.
