Poundland has ramped up its security measures. (Image: Getty)
Poundland will introduce heightened security measures to combat the nationwide shoplifting issue.
The British chain saw a loss of over £40 million worth of stock last year as it said shop workers had a “challenging time.”
Crime prevention methods include equipping staff with anti-theft technology, including body-worn cameras in stores with the highest rate of offences.
The budget store recently trialled this and saw that the cameras resulted in a 1% drop in violence against staff members, as well as a reduction in shoplifting.
In addition to bodycams and headsets for employees to communicate quickly with one another, Poundland said it was working more closely with local police to crack down on offenders and plan to recruit more undercover security officers.
:
The retailer has seen a skyrocketing amount of theft over the past year. (Image: Getty)
Over the past 18 months, the retailer, which is known for selling products priced at £1, reported that the rate of theft and abuse against shop workers had “accelerated significantly”.
Poundland has over 800 stores in the UK, yet its parent company, Pepco, revealed that stock loss has become a major issue.
The decrease in products from shelves, largely attributable to shoplifting and theft, amounted to a whopping £44 million over the past year, with an increase of 30% over the past two years.
Alongside this, Poundland saw a shrinking number of sales across its food section and general merchandise. This led to the group taking steps to improve upon its financial performance which includes lowering prices even further for customers.
:
Bodycams and headsets will be issued to employees in the worst affected areas. (Image: Getty)
However, Poundland is not the only chain facing theft in its stores. Official figures released in October from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) 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% from the previous year and the highest annual figure since current records began in 2003.
The crime of theft from a person, as recorded by police, also rose by 20% in the 12 months to June, rising to 139,368 compared with 116,312 a year earlier.