Retail Crime & Colleague Safety Summit 2026 | Retail Week

The impact of crime on the retail sector is profound. Shoplifting presents a significant financial burden. Staff morale is drastically impacted. The ripple effect on those witnessing crime and violence is costly.  

But retailers, in collaboration with policymakers, are making strides to tackle the problem.

Crime is high on the boardroom agenda. Retailers are committing significant resources and investment to technology, operational and people solutions to mitigate loss, reduce churn and support the wellbeing of their colleagues.  

But many challenges remain. So where should retailers focus to protect both profits and people?

Retail Week’s inaugural Retail Crime and Colleague Safety Summit will galvanise the sector to tackle the biggest challenges facing store teams head-on.  

Register for your free place to join us on February 11 from 1.30pm to 5pm at the Soho Hotel, London, to be part of the conversation.

At this half-day summit, we will cover:

• Insights into the innovative work happening across the sector to tackle the impact of retail crime
• The technology and tools that are making a difference, and the most important metrics to measure ROI
• How retailers are building comprehensive and robust safety plans, spanning operations, security and people teams
• Opportunities for effective collaboration to drive change

Bira CEO Andrew Goodacre to speak at summit

3.55pm-4.25pm: Costs | The true cost of retail crime – quantifying the damage and finding solutions 

Retail theft presents a significant financial burden on the UK retail sector, with reports indicating annual costs could be more than £4bn.  

This includes not only the direct value of stolen goods, but the substantial investment retailers are making in crime-prevention measures and the wider impact on staff and customer experience.  

In the session:  

• The financial reality – quantifying shrinkage and its impact on margins, and exploring the hidden costs of retail crime
• How to best balance security investment with profitability, and which solutions have the best pay off – from body-worn cameras and AI surveillance to increased security presence
• Case studies from retailers rolling out cost-effective solutions to cut losses and improve colleague safety

Speakers include:

Andrew Goodacre, Chief Executive, British Independent Retailers Association

Mark Thomson, Retail Industry Director EMEA, Zebra Technologies