The Co-op Group said losses from crime in its stores rose by nearly 20% to £40 million in the first half of this year, highlighting the impact of shoplifting.
The member-owned mutual insurer has spent £18 million so far this year on measures to protect staff in food businesses, including the introduction of body cameras and reinforced kiosks.
Nevertheless, the grocery chain lost £39.5m to theft and fraud in the first six months of 2024, a 19% increase on the previous year, despite stepped up campaigning on the issue.
Matt Hood, managing director of the food division, said: “This is not going to go away – the reality is that four colleagues are attacked every day, a 34% increase on 2022. Shockingly, a further 115 colleagues have suffered serious abuse, a 37% increase on two years ago.”
But, he added, “The investments we're making are paying off. Our colleagues feel safer and we're making them safer.”
The company has previously said that the rise in shoplifting and violence towards shop staff is due to organised crime, rather than individuals stealing to survive, and that the group lost £70 million from shoplifting in 2023.
Chief executive Shireen Khoury Haq said she was pleased the Government was planning to change the law to make shoplifting a standalone offence, but the organisation said it needed to be implemented “as soon as possible”.
The company, which handles everything from retail to funerals, said it had restored profits despite being hit by shoplifting and rising wages.
The group reported pre-tax profits of £58 million for the first half of 2024 (compared to a loss of £33 million a year earlier) and said its stronger balance sheet would enable it to expand through new stores and acquisitions.
Food sales rose 3.2% across all stores and the division's underlying profit increased 10%.
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The Co-op's accounts revealed that wage costs rose by £39 million after it increased pay in line with the 9.8% “national living wage” increase in April.
But the company has invested £55m in prices and, driven by membership growth, is on track to meet its target of increasing membership to 8 million by 2030 from its current 5.5 million members.
The group also announced plans to open 120 retail stores across the UK by the end of 2025.
