Around one in three retail workers in Australia and New Zealand (32%) report feeling unsafe going into the peak holiday shopping season, according to Motorola Solutions’ ANZ Retail Worker Safety Report, with at least half reporting concerns about shoplifting and hostile customer interactions.
Independent market research firm, Researchscape, conducted the ANZ survey to gauge retail workers’ perspectives about safety and workplace security measures. The results show that security technologies such as mobile safety apps, body cameras, systems that can lock doors and allow store security officers to view real-time video of unfolding incidents, make people feel safer at work.
Motorola Solutions Asia Pacific channel sales managing director, Martin Chappell said, “As we approach peak shopping season, retail workers in Australia and New Zealand have clear concerns about potential crime and hostile interactions with customers, which can have harmful physical and mental impacts.
“Retail workers and managers point to technologies they believe can help curb these issues – deterring theft, de-escalating confrontations with customers and simultaneously notifying security workers and authorities of emergencies. Our research shows that the right security measures can improve feelings of safety.”
Retail crime remains a major concern
Many retail managers and staff surveyed said they’ve experienced increases in various forms of crime in their stores in the past year. The most common incidents reported were shoplifting (71%), hostile customer interactions (51%) and grab and runs (43%). Retail staff also said they have experienced organised retail crime groups (20%) and physical attacks from customers (16%) in their stores.
Holiday understaffing causes safety concerns
70% of retail workers said they expect to be understaffed this holiday season, and this impacts how safe they feel. More than one-third (34%) of respondents said they are extremely concerned for their personal safety leading into peak shopping season.
Technology solutions boost feelings of safety
Respondents pointed to access control systems (24%), mobile safety apps (20%), panic buttons (19%), body cameras (17%), and license plate readers (15%) as measures that can make them feel safer. Few retail workers reported having those security measures in place. Of those surveyed, 15% said they have access control systems, 14% have panic buttons, 12% have mobile safety apps, 10% are using body cameras and 9% have license plate readers.
Body cameras an emerging retail safety tool
More than half of respondents (54%) said body cameras would help them feel safer, and a majority said the technology can help stores to gather evidence to support investigations (66%). Additionally, 47% said body cameras can be a deterrent of aggressive or criminal behaviour.