​Holland & Barrett invests millions in latest technology as it battles surging levels of retail crime

The UK’s largest health and wellness retailer has invested in the latest crime prevention technology including reporting software Auror, 80 body cameras for staff, new CCTV monitoring and security in around 200 stores, as part of its £70m expenditure into transforming its retail store estate.

Holland & Barrett rolled out Auror, a retail crime reporting platform, across all of its 720 stores in the UK and 60 in Ireland earlier this year, after the Office for National Statistics reported that shoplifting hit the highest level in 20 years in England and Wales. 

Since the launch, over 8,000 incidents have been reported in Holland & Barrett stores including theft and acts of aggression and violence against staff. The retailer has identified over 630 repeat offenders by using the platform, which it said allows it to “better support positive prosecutions from the police and keep communities safer”.

Holland & Barrett director of stores Darsh Chand told Retail Week the platform is “designed to connect the dots between individuals and locations” and has already resulted in positive results for the retailer. The business has been able to identify crime hotspots and better equip stores in those areas with security including body cameras and security guards.

In May, a man was arrested for robbing five Holland & Barrett stores in Yorkshire and stealing products worth £20,000 in one of the worst cases of shoplifting experienced by the retailer.

Mark Williams, Holland & Barrett head of loss prevention, said: “This investment in loss prevention reflects our steadfast commitment to making our stores safer for our customers and colleagues. We recognise that retail crime is a community problem and working collaboratively to adopt the latest new technology can help us to create a better impact faster.”