The riots in Dublin late last year shocked the nation for their violence and intensity as well as the speed with which they spread across the city, with retailers and employees trapped within their premises for fear of attack by those intent on robbing and causing damage. Derek Nagle checks out the long-term costs.
In the wake of the riots last November, the Joint Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment, chaired by Maurice Quinlivan TD, who himself worked in retail for 19 years, met on 13 December 2023 to debate the issue of shoplifting and the rising levels of assaults against retail workers.
Tara Buckley, Director General of the Retail, Grocery, Dairy and Allied Trades Association (RGDATA), who was one of the debate’s participants, said that a survey on retail crime undertaken by her organisation found that 93 per cent of its members have been victims of shoplifting and 40 per cent have been victims of fraudulent activity.
Of those surveyed 25 per cent said they had been subjected to violent robberies in their stores, with weapons being used in over one quarter of these crimes. These included firearms, knives, syringes, hammers, crowbars, bottles and even axes.
“Retail theft is most certainly not a victimless crime – shop owners, staff and customers are the victims. Staff and owners in shops have to deal with criminals who are often aggressive, sexist, racist and who use weapons and threatening behaviour. The average cost to the 3,500 shops, forecourt stores and supermarkets that RGDATA represents throughout Ireland is over €40,000 per store,” she notes.
Buckley believes that the huge rise in retail crime in this country is because serial shoplifters and organised gangs think they can get away with carrying out retail thefts with little or no consequences for them. She also feels there is a serious problem with gangs of youth offenders who believe they are “untouchable and are very aggressive and brazen” about stealing from retailers.
“The courts need to be more consistent on sentencing policies for retail crime, especially for repeat offenders. RGDATA members are extremely frustrated with the courts. Shop owners put a lot of time and effort into providing evidence, making statements and appearing in court and the offenders usually walk free and are back in the shop robbing it again while laughing in the shop owner’s face,” she says.
Retail crime costs retailers an estimated €1.62 billion every year, according to the Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association. The Global Retail Theft Barometer also shows that Ireland has the highest cost per capita when it comes to retail crime (€339.31) – significantly more than both second and third placed countries, Iceland and Denmark.
