Poundland is taking a firm stance against in-store crime, investing heavily in new technology and additional security measures to ensure the safety of its staff and customers. The company launched its ‘Against Retail Crime’ campaign internally today, sending a clear message to potential thieves that their actions will not go unnoticed or unpunished.
The Black Country retailer’s initiative, which is set to launch this week, is part of an ongoing effort to combat the rise in shop theft, as well as the abuse and harassment of its employees. As part of this investment, Poundland’s 800-plus stores will be equipped with anti-theft technology and communication headsets, enabling staff to respond quickly and safely to incidents.
Contracted security teams are also being given the authority to detain suspected offenders in stores, with the assurance that local police will pursue prosecution for every incident of retail crime. The value retailer is working closely with local law enforcement agencies and police forces, including undercover officers, and sharing CCTV footage to aid in prosecutions.
Poundland is now deploying Motorola Solutions VT100 body cameras across numerous stores particularly affected by crime after seeing a successful trial phase within its retail outlets. The use of these cameras has led to an 11% drop in violent incidents against staff members, as well as a significant decrease in shoplifting and theft activities, reports Birmingham Live.
Christina Jesty, Poundland’s head of loss prevention, remarked: “The rate of store theft and colleague abuse has accelerated significantly across our stores in the last 18 months, and this has been very challenging for our people. Whether it’s store theft undermining all our colleagues’ hard work, or incidents of violence and abuse making our colleagues feel unsafe at work, something must change.”
She further added, “At Poundland we pride ourselves on being a value-led high street retailer, where protecting our colleagues goes hand in hand with protecting our prices. That is why we’re saying enough is enough and beginning a campaign to support our front-line teams and crack down on retail crime across our stores.”
The initiative to bolster security measures aligns with Poundland’s commitment to delivering remarkable value to their customers.