Assaults on Retail Workers at Sports Direct and JD Sports: A Growing Concern

Staff at Sports Direct and JD Sports in the UK are facing a surge in violent assaults by shoplifters, with several incidents reported per week. The two major retail chains, boasting a collective total of around 4,000 stores, have seen their employees subjected to brutal attacks, including being head-butted, bitten, punched, elbowed, and threatened with weapons.

In one shocking incident, a Sports Direct employee had to undergo a CT scan after being battered over the head by a thief, while another worker had a bottle hurled at them. The situation is so dire that police in Bedfordshire were called after a customer threw an energy drink at an employee, causing bruising and swelling. In Essex, a suspect even swung a bat at a staff member in Sports Direct.

The statistics, obtained through a Freedom of Information Request, reveal that there were a total of 137 assaults recorded, equating to approximately three incidents per week. Sports Direct reported 87 incidents, while JD Sports reported 50. However, the actual figures are believed to be higher, as several police forces did not provide data on incidents.

It is speculated that sports shops are targeted by violent thieves due to the ease with which merchandise like trainers and designer clothes can be sold on the black market. The spike in retail crime has sparked concern among unions, with Paddy Lillis, General Secretary of the shopworkers’ union USDAW, describing the situation as an “epidemic of retail crime” and urging for increased protection for shopworkers.

Frasers Group, the parent company of Sports Direct, emphasized that the safety and security of their staff is a top priority and that they are continuously implementing additional measures to safeguard their employees. They reiterated that violence and abuse should never be tolerated in the workplace. The alarming trend of violent assaults on retail workers underscores the need for increased awareness and preventative measures to ensure the safety of those working in the retail sector.