Sainsbury’s boss speaks out for the first time about the retail crime epidemic sweeping Britain

The boss of Sainsbury’s has spoken out for the first time about the epidemic of retail crime sweeping Britain.

Simon Roberts, 51, chief executive of Britain’s second largest supermarket chain, has backed The Mail on Sunday’s campaign for police to crack down on shoplifters.

He also supports the demand for a change in the law to make abuse or violence against store employees a specific crime.

Roberts said that, in common with other major retailers, there has been an increase in violence and verbal abuse against staff.

He added: “I see a report every day about the number of violent incidents and attacks on our people in our gas stations, our convenience stores and in our stores. It definitely escalated last year.” Roberts said he has been working with the government and his fellow store bosses to tackle the problem.

“Any situation in which a person feels threatened or unsafe, we must put the force of the law behind it,” he said.

‘We have a responsibility and that also applies to the government and the police.’ He said Sainsbury’s was the first retailer to invest in body-worn cameras, which are offered to all of the company’s 150,000 employees.

When activated, the cameras send a signal to a support team, who can view the footage live. If necessary, they can call the police and ask them to send officers to the store.

‘We wanted to be a leader in the sector. There were all kinds of issues surrounding data protection, but in the end you just have to take a stand.’

Retail crime has affected all major chains.

The Mail on Sunday has led the way in exposing the scandal of abuse against shopkeepers and shoplifting, revealing it has cost £1 billion a year, which ultimately comes out of customers’ pockets.

Roberts added: “The key point is that this should not be simply overlooked in any way. This is a crime. Stealing is a crime.”