Breaking the back of rising retail crime by Convenience store

Thegrocer.co.uk editor Nicholas Robinson has an extensive background in food & drink journalism, covering the industry for a range of leading titles over the years prior to a brief stint in the luxury lifestyle sector where he headed a superyacht media title.

Working across the public, private and voluntary sectors, Jo provides strategic advice to boardrooms to raise the standards of service across the UK, providing evidence of the connection between customer satisfaction and operational efficiency and profitability. A regular media commentator and prominent keynote speaker, Jo is frequently asked to provide commentary for national and broadcast media, in addition to numerous podcasts and member Board sessions. Working with politicians, regulators, and senior officials, Jo focuses on the impact that service has on the UK economy and productivity, helping shape policy. Through her work establishing and overseeing the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Customer Service, she raises awareness and understanding of customer service amongst parliamentarians, establishing a dialogue between Government and business. She brings a wealth of experience from the commercial sector, holding Director roles in financial services, brand, and business consulting, as well as policy development and research for City & Guilds and The Chartered Management Institute

Chris joined ACS in October 2009 having graduated from York University with a degree in English and Linguistics. As Communications Director, Chris is responsible for all ACS external and internal communications, media relations and a growing research portfolio which includes the industry leading Local Shop Report. As an official spokesperson for ACS, Chris has appeared frequently on national and regional radio and television including BBC News, Sky News, BBC Breakfast and the Daily Politics show. Chris completed the Chartered Institute of Public Relations Diploma in 2013, the CIM Strategic Marketing Masterclass in 2017 and the University of Oxford Said Business School Executive Leadership Programme in 2022.

Emmeline Taylor is Professor of Criminology at City, University of London. She specialises in understanding business crime, particularly focusing on the retail sector. Professor Taylor’s career spans over 20 years, during which time she has worked in the public, private and academic sectors, and on three continents. Professor Taylor has published extensively on crime-related topics, including six books, the most recent of which, Armed Robbers (Oxford University Press, 2022), is based on interviews with incarcerated offenders. Emmeline has published several reports on retail crime and criminal justice, including It’s Not Part of the Job: Violence and Verbal Abuse Towards Shop Workers (2019), Fortress Stores (2022) and Stealing with Impunity (2024). Emmeline hosts the podcast Retail Crime Uncovered, which focuses on how to identify and tackle retail crime in all its forms.

Appointed as editor of ConvenienceStore.co.uk in 2020, Aidan previously worked on the brand between 2008 and 2015 as a reporter and products editor. Aidan grew up in the retail industry, with his parents running a convenience store in Dublin. He is most excited about best practice ideas and knowledge sharing amongst retailers that helps the entire sector grow.

Benedict Selvaratnam has run Freshfields Market in Croydon since 2015. A family-owned store, Benedict and his team are an integral part of the local community. With he and his staff facing the threat of verbal and physical abuse on a daily basis, Benedict has been a leading advocate for more support for retailers against crime. He has also invested heavily in security measures to protect his staff and business, having seen incidents of shoplifting skyrocket over the years.

Mike has been the Head of Franchise for Welcome, the franchise offer of Southern Co op, for the last 12 years. Prior to this Mike has worked with independent retailers over the last 25 years, working at senior levels for Budgens, Spar and Nisa From leaving school Mike has worked in retail at all positions including Store Manager, Area and Regional Manager, Sales Director and has amassed a wealth of experience and contacts to call on when needed Working for so long with independent retailers has given Mike a real insight into how challenging, sometimes lonely but always rewarding it can be owning and operating your own business.

Tony is the health and safety officer for the Union of Shop Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw). Usdaw has 360,000 members most of those are shopworkers in retail. He believes all workers should not be harmed by their work, and they should go home healthy. Tony has completed his Diploma in Health and Safety and is a Certified member of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH).