Staff at a Co-op in southeast London say they “no longer feel safe” at work as a surge in shoplifting sees hundreds of pounds worth of goods stolen every week.
The store on Footscray Road, New Eltham, Greenwich, is targeted by shoplifters every day, staff say, with many individuals appearing intoxicated, and one has grown “increasingly aggressive”.
“We worry that it’s only a matter of time before he seriously harms a member of staff,” one employee told The Standard.
“Unfortunately, we are unable to stop them — and they know this. All we can do is ask them to return the items.”
Staff are now appealing to Co-op’s Head Office to provide full-time security at the New Eltham store, to ensure a safer environment for both employees and customers.
“We used to have security several times a week, which did deter some of them,” the employee added.
“But even then, the guards were limited in what they could do, as they are not allowed to physically intervene.”
While it did not comment on this specific store, Co-op said it has invested more than £200million in colleague and store safety in recent years, including CCTV and body-worn cameras.
But local community champion Rob Sayers believes more needs to be done. He has set up a petition urging Co-op’s Head Office to boost security at the New Eltham store to protect staff, after discovering multiple empty security cases discarded in a nearby park.
Mr Sayers said: “This is not just a matter of lost stock — it’s a serious safety issue.
“The people who work at our local Co-op deserve to feel safe and protected at all times.
“Customers also deserve a shopping environment that is secure and free from fear of criminal behaviour.”
In April, Co-op reported that losses from shoplifting in its food retail business rose to £80 million in 2024, accounting for more than half of its adjusted operating profit.
The figure is the highest since current police recording practices began in the year to March 2003, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
“Our customers are getting sick and tired of witnessing these shoplifters filling their bags, they are frustrated with us as they feel we should be stopping them,” the Co-op employee added.
“We have elderly customers who fear coming into the store as they are worried they may be harmed.
“We’ve tried limiting the number of items on display to just a few, but it hasn't helped — they’re still stolen.”
Staff said managers spend a significant time filing incident reports, while they praised a small local police team who “do their best to visit us as often as they can”, but stressed that more support is needed.
A spokesperson for Co-op told The Standard: “Co-op has been a relentless campaigner to tackle retail crime, and as a community-based retailer, we see the corrosive impact of retail crime and anti-social behaviour in society which is not acceptable, with often a significant cost to the physical and mental well-being of our store colleagues who face into this issue every single day.
“Co-op has invested more than £200 million over recent years, in colleague and store safety and security, including the latest interactive CCTV, body-worn cameras, use of dummy (or empty) packaging to deter bulk-theft and covert (undercover) and non-covert guarding, with the tactical use of specially trained guards able to detain criminals.
“Since the Government’s Retail Crime Action Plan was published, a significant improvement in police attention has been seen, however, small stores are the life-blood of local communities, and we will continue to work to get more done to tackle root causes and prevent reoffending.”
