Retail Drinks Australia has released its new Retail Liquor Industry Safety & Security Report, which reveals the increasing theft, violence and safety risks facing liquor store workers and customers.
The report was conducted in partnership with Circana and Axon and includes input from over 1000 liquor store owners, staff, and customers on areas including retail liquor safety and security.
The study found that:
- 11 per cent of all customers had witnessed an incident
- Almost 50 per cent of staff experience security incidents weekly or more
- 40 per cent of customers have changed their shopping behaviour due to safety concerns
- Only 47 per cent of security incidents are reported to police, due to low confidence in response outcomes
Most stores operate without the necessary security measures in place, largely due to prohibitive costs.
These and other alarming statistics from the study highlight the need for urgent change according to Retail Drinks CEO, Michael Waters. Waters has called for stronger penalties for offenders, increased police support, and government-funded grants for liquor retailers, particularly small to medium businesses, to improve the safety and security of their stores.
“Retail liquor stores are being targeted daily, and without immediate government intervention, we risk further harm to the community, store closures, and lost jobs,” Waters said.
“Crime across the entire retail sector has been escalating at alarming rates with liquor being one of the most frequently stolen items due to its portability, high value and ease of consumption.
“The Retail Liquor Safety & Security Report is the first of its kind, filling a critical gap in understanding what retail liquor store owners, staff, and their shoppers experience and whether it has a lasting impact, and the findings show that incidents are not only widespread, but a worsening national problem.
“We’re also seeing criminals becoming more brazen and increasingly turning to aggression or violence, with the survey revealing that of all the incidents witnessed 63 per cent involved verbal or physical aggression.
“What’s increasingly concerning is the number of unreported incidents. We can see from survey respondents that most are never reported to the police, meaning the official statistics from governments across the country only tell a fraction of the story, meaning existing government action is falling short.”
Waters said that the report has called for a three-pronged approach to tackle retail liquor crime, safety and security:
- Strengthen legal deterrents including mandatory sentences for repeat retail crime offenders.
- Establish a government-funded program to help retailers install modern security measures like CCTV, duress alarms, and entry barriers; and
- Improve police engagement through prioritised incident reporting and faster response times.
Waters added: “Retail Drinks has already taken proactive steps by launching the Safe to Serve industry responsibility initiative in late 2023, which helps to make retail liquor stores safe, secure and respectful environments, through the provision of education, awareness, and advocacy however, there’s only so much that can be done.
“Without additional support from government, industry, and the wider community, retail liquor stores will continue to be targeted by criminals.
“The report will be distributed to key industry stakeholders, government policymakers, and law enforcement agencies, and we will call on Governments to increase police resources, get tougher on crime, and support impacted businesses to fund security measures and target harden their stores.”
The full Retail Liquor Industry Safety & Security Report is available through the Retail Drinks Australia website.