Every retailer in Ireland has experienced crime in the past year – including violent robberies, gang intimidation and shoplifting – a new study has found.

In a survey of 100 store owners by ShelfLife magazine, every one of them reported suffering from some form of crime in the last 12 months.

Almost nine in ten (89%) said crime was becoming more dangerous, with 56% reporting problems with gangs which had created “hostile” and “unsafe” environments for both staff and customers.

Crime costs retailers €1.62 billion every year, according to the Irish Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (ISME).

relentless

Flora Crowe, owner of Crowes Grocery & Bakery in Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare, also director of the Shops and Newspapers Association (CSNA), told the Irish Daily Mail the crime was “relentless”.

Her shop was the target of three armed robberies in ten days, with thieves armed with knives and scissors demanding cash and cigarettes.

She said: “It shook us to our core. The staff was petrified. A girl left and never came back. It changes the whole vibe of the store. We are always on the lookout.

“Kids from gangs come every day to steal. They will eat chocolate bars and leave. They are very hard to stop.

“There is very little the police can do because many of them are under the age of criminal responsibility. Or, because it’s only €2 or €3, you feel embarrassed to call the police, but you have to as it adds up.

“There is no Garda presence so young people know they can get away with it,” she said.

“TOURISM FOR COMMUNITY”

“We also see a lot of theft tourism. People come from out of town, smartly dressed and leave with only €200-300. It happened four or five times,” Ms Crowe said.

“Or people leave without paying for fuel two or three times a week. Enter the cars with the registration number covered. Recently, a masked guy had a canister and put 80 euros in fuel and left,” she added.

Patrick Durack, owner of Centra Ferns grocery store in Co. Wexford, said it has seen a major increase in violence and shoplifting in recent years.

He added: “(It’s) a challenge to the viability of the store. Retail is a low-margin business, and inventory going out the door every day has a negative impact.

“Recruiting more police officers for frontline policing duties is essential. As well as a refund scheme for shops where goods are looted or damaged by criminal activity.

Yesterday, the CSNA said there should be mandatory jail terms for those who abuse shop workers, as well as anti-social behavior orders and financial penalties for criminals.

MANDATORY IMPRISONMENT

They are also looking for an increased Garda presence in retail areas and local crime hotlines in every Garda division. Over two-thirds of retailers said they were dissatisfied with current Garda response times, with 88% reporting no visible Garda presence in their areas.

CSNA head Vincent Jennings said: “It’s time for change. Retailers are the backbone of our communities. It’s not just theft; it’s about protecting business owners, staff and customers from increasingly dangerous situations. Stronger protections are urgently needed.

There has been a 20 per cent rise in shoplifting prosecutions this year, Justice Minister Helen McEntee revealed last week.

She said she and the police had “listened” to the concerns of retailers and were determined to tackle crime.

“Gardaí have arrested over 12,000 people in our city centre,” she said. “There’s about €20 million worth of drugs that have been seized through this as well.”