Store bosses say self-service machines and not enough police cause more theft (CEFR Compare)

Apr 24, 2026, 14:29

Store bosses say self-service machines and not enough police cause more theft

Introduction

Archie Norman, the boss of Marks & Spencer, says self-service checkouts make good people steal. The machines have problems and no staff help. He also wants more police after many teenagers stole from a store. Simon Roberts, the boss of Sainsbury's, also wants more police. His store uses face recognition to stop crime. Official numbers show a small drop in shoplifting but a big rise in robberies. This may be because the government changed how they count crimes.

Main Body

Mr. Norman says self-service machines break the link between store and shopper. Items do not scan and no staff help. Good people then take things without paying. He does not want to go back to full staff. He wants better machines. Marks & Spencer added 800 new self-service machines in 2023 to save money. Mr. Norman talks about an incident in Clapham. Over 100 teenagers came into the store and took things. He says this is a police problem. He wants police to act. Mr. Roberts of Sainsbury's agrees. His store uses face recognition to keep staff safe. In stores with this system, incidents fell by 46%. 92% of people caught did not come back. He wants more police to show the problem is serious. Official crime numbers show 509,566 shoplifting incidents last year. That is a 1% drop from before. But the Home Office changed the rules in April 2025. Now theft with violence or threats is called robbery of business property, not shoplifting. This may explain why shoplifting numbers went down a little and robberies went up 78%. Robberies rose from 14,691 in 2024 to 26,158 in 2025. So the numbers may not show the real situation.

Conclusion

Retail leaders say the problem comes from bad technology and not enough police. Official numbers may not tell the full story because of new rules. The situation is important for stores. They want better technology and more police.

Vocabulary Learning

machine (n.)

device / A piece of equipment that does a job, like a self-service checkout.機器

Example:The self-service machines have problems and no staff help.

police (n.)

officers / People whose job is to stop crime and keep people safe.警察

Example:The store boss wants more police to help stop theft.

problem (n.)

issue / Something that is difficult or causes trouble.問題

Example:The problem comes from bad technology and not enough police.

steal (v.)

take / To take something that does not belong to you, without permission.偷竊

Example:Good people sometimes steal because the machine does not work.

store (n.)

shop / A place where you can buy things.商店

Example:Many teenagers came into the store and took things.

Sentence Learning

This may be because the government changed how they count crimes.

Reason: This sentence uses 'because' to explain the reason for something.這個句子使用『因為』來解釋某件事的原因。

Official numbers show a small drop in shoplifting but a big rise in robberies.

Contrast Connector: This sentence uses 'but' to show a contrast between two ideas.這個句子使用『但是』來顯示兩個想法之間的對比。

Official crime numbers show 509,566 shoplifting incidents last year.

Time Marker: This sentence uses 'last year' to tell when the incidents happened.這個句子使用『去年』來說明事件發生的時間。

Mr. Norman talks about an incident in Clapham.

Prepositional Phrase: This sentence uses 'in Clapham' to give the location of the incident.這個句子使用『在克拉珀姆』來提供事件的地點。

Over 100 teenagers came into the store and took things.

Connector: This sentence uses 'and' to connect two actions that happened.這個句子使用『和』來連接發生的兩個動作。

Retail Executives Point to Self-Service Technology and Lack of Police as Reasons for Rising Retail Crime

Introduction

Archie Norman, chairman of Marks & Spencer, has stated that self-service checkouts are accidentally encouraging normally honest people to shoplift because of technical problems and a lack of staff supervision. He also called for a stronger police response after a large group of teenagers stole goods from a store in Clapham. Simon Roberts, chief executive of Sainsbury’s, also demanded more police presence and noted that his company has started using facial recognition technology to deal with serious incidents. Official data show a small decrease in recorded shoplifting, but a large increase in robberies of business property. This change may be due to a recent Home Office clarification on how crimes are classified.

Main Body

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Mr. Norman argued that self-service technology has removed the personal connection between retailers and shoppers. This leads to situations where items do not scan and no staff are available to help. He claimed that such circumstances cause 'normally good, honest people' to justify taking unpaid goods, for example by putting unscanned strawberries into their baskets. While he did not call for a return to fully staffed checkouts, he emphasized the need to make the technology easier to use in order to reduce accidental theft. This comment comes as Marks & Spencer has expanded its use of self-service units, installing 800 additional machines in 2023 as part of a cost-cutting plan targeting £150 million. Separately, Mr. Norman described an incident at the company’s Clapham store, where over 100 teenagers entered and removed merchandise. He called this a 'police event' that requires active law enforcement, warning that normalizing such incidents makes people feel less safe. The call for more policing was supported by Mr. Roberts of Sainsbury’s, who reported that his company has become the first retailer to use facial recognition technology for staff security. He stated that in stores where the system is in use, incidents have fallen by 46%, and 92% of identified offenders have not returned. Mr. Roberts expressed that a more visible police presence would show how serious the issue is. Official crime statistics released this week reported 509,566 shoplifting incidents in the past year, a 1% decrease from 516,611 in the previous year. However, the Home Office gave new guidance in April 2025 saying that theft involving violence or threats against staff should be recorded as robbery of business property rather than shoplifting. This change in classification may explain both the slight decline in shoplifting figures and the sharp 78% increase in robberies of businesses, which rose from 14,691 in 2024 to 26,158 in 2025. The data therefore present a complicated picture, where apparent improvements in one category may reflect changes in recording practices rather than real decreases in criminal activity.

Conclusion

Retail leaders say the current situation of retail crime is caused by a combination of poor technology design and not enough police, while official statistics suggest that changes in how crimes are classified may be hiding the true scale of the problem. The issue remains a main concern for the sector, with executives calling for both technological improvements and stronger law enforcement responses.

Vocabulary Learning

classification (n.)

categorization / the process of putting things into groups or classes分類；歸類

Example:This change in classification may explain both the slight decline in shoplifting figures and the sharp increase in robberies.

incident (n.)

event / an event, especially one that is unpleasant or unusual事件；事故

Example:He called this a 'police event' that requires active law enforcement, warning that normalizing such incidents makes people feel less safe.

justify (v.)

defend / to show or prove to be right or reasonable辯解；證明…正當

Example:He claimed that such circumstances cause normally good, honest people to justify taking unpaid goods.

normalize (v.)

standardize / to make something normal or usual正常化；使常態化

Example:He warned that normalizing such incidents makes people feel less safe.

shoplift (v.)

steal / to take goods from a store without paying店舖盜竊

Example:Self-service checkouts are accidentally encouraging normally honest people to shoplift.

Sentence Learning

The call for more policing was supported by Mr. Roberts of Sainsbury’s, who reported that his company has become the first retailer to use facial recognition technology for staff security.

Passive voice shifts focus to the action (the call being supported) rather than the doer. The relative clause 'who reported' adds extra information about Mr. Roberts.被動語態將重點放在動作（呼籲被支持）而非執行者。關係從句「who reported」補充關於Roberts先生的額外資訊。

While he did not call for a return to fully staffed checkouts, he emphasized the need to make the technology easier to use in order to reduce accidental theft.

The word 'While' introduces a contrast between two ideas: not calling for a return vs. emphasizing improvement. This helps organize the argument by showing a concession.「While」一詞引入兩個想法之間的對比：不要求回歸 vs. 強調改進。這有助於組織論點，顯示讓步。

Separately, Mr. Norman described an incident at the company’s Clapham store, where over 100 teenagers entered and removed merchandise.

The relative clause 'where over 100 teenagers entered...' provides additional detail about the location (the Clapham store). It connects the incident to the specific store.關係從句「where over 100 teenagers entered...」提供關於地點（Clapham商店）的額外細節。它將事件與特定商店聯繫起來。

However, the Home Office gave new guidance in April 2025 saying that theft involving violence or threats against staff should be recorded as robbery of business property rather than shoplifting.

Linking word 'However' signals a contrast with previous information (the decrease in shoplifting). The passive 'should be recorded' emphasizes the action of recording rather than who does it.「However」表示與先前信息（盜竊案減少）的對比。被動語態「should be recorded」強調記錄的行為而非誰執行。

The data therefore present a complicated picture, where apparent improvements in one category may reflect changes in recording practices rather than real decreases in criminal activity.

Linking word 'therefore' indicates a logical conclusion or result from previous information. The relative clause 'where apparent improvements...' explains the nature of the complicated picture.「Therefore」表示從先前信息得出的邏輯結論或結果。關係從句「where apparent improvements...」解釋複雜圖景的性質。

Retail Executives Cite Self-Service Technology and Policing Gaps as Contributing Factors to Rising Retail Crime

Introduction

Archie Norman, chairman of Marks & Spencer, has stated that self-service checkouts are inadvertently encouraging otherwise law-abiding individuals to commit shoplifting, due to technological difficulties and the absence of staff oversight. He also called for enhanced police response following an incident in which a large group of teenagers ransacked a store in Clapham. Simon Roberts, chief executive of Sainsbury’s, echoed the demand for greater police presence, noting that his company has implemented facial recognition technology to combat serious incidents. Official data indicate a marginal decline in recorded shoplifting offences, but a substantial increase in robberies of business property, a shift that may be attributable to a recent Home Office clarification on offence classification.

Main Body

Mr. Norman, in an interview with The Daily Telegraph, asserted that self-service technology has severed the “human link” between retailers and shoppers, leading to situations where items fail to scan and no staff are available to assist. He argued that such circumstances cause “normally good, honest people” to rationalise taking unpaid goods, for example by placing unscanned strawberries into their baskets. While he did not advocate for a return to fully staffed checkouts, he emphasised the need to make the technology more user-friendly to reduce unintentional theft. This commentary comes as Marks & Spencer has expanded its deployment of self-service units, installing 800 additional machines in 2023 as part of a cost-saving initiative targeting £150 million. Separately, Mr. Norman addressed an incident at the company’s Clapham store, where over 100 teenagers entered the premises and removed merchandise en masse. He characterised this event as a “police event” requiring an active law enforcement response, warning that the normalisation of such occurrences undermines public perceptions of safety. The call for increased policing was supported by Mr. Roberts of Sainsbury’s, who reported that his firm has become the first retailer to deploy facial recognition technology for staff security. He stated that in stores where the system is operational, incidents have fallen by 46%, and 92% of identified offenders have not returned. Mr. Roberts expressed that a more visible police presence would reinforce the seriousness of the issue. Official crime statistics released this week recorded 509,566 shoplifting incidents in the past year, a 1% decrease from 516,611 in the prior period. However, the Home Office issued a clarification in April 2025 directing that offences involving theft accompanied by violence or threats against staff should be recorded as robbery of business property rather than shoplifting. This reclassification may account for both the slight decline in shoplifting figures and the concurrent 78% surge in robberies of businesses, which rose from 14,691 in 2024 to 26,158 in 2025. The data thus present a complex picture, where apparent improvements in one category may reflect changes in recording practices rather than genuine reductions in criminal activity.

Conclusion

Retail leaders attribute the current landscape of retail crime to a combination of technological design flaws and insufficient policing, while official statistics suggest that changes in offence classification may be distorting the true scale of the problem. The situation remains a focal point for the sector, with executives urging both technological improvements and stronger law enforcement responses.

Vocabulary Learning

en masse (adv.)

in a group / all together; as a group集體地

Example:Over 100 teenagers entered the premises and removed merchandise en masse.

inadvertently (adv.)

unintentionally / without intention; accidentally非故意地

Example:The article states that self-service checkouts are inadvertently encouraging shoplifting.

ransacked (v.)

plundered / to search through and steal from a place, causing disorder掠奪

Example:A large group of teenagers ransacked a store in Clapham.

rationalise (v.)

justify / to attempt to explain or justify behavior with logical reasons, often to make it seem acceptable合理化

Example:He argued that such circumstances cause normally good, honest people to rationalise taking unpaid goods.

severed (v.)

cut off / to break or cut off a connection or link斷絕

Example:Mr. Norman asserted that self-service technology has severed the human link between retailers and shoppers.

Sentence Learning

However, the Home Office issued a clarification in April 2025 directing that offences involving theft accompanied by violence or threats against staff should be recorded as robbery of business property rather than shoplifting.

Complex Nominal Group with Participial Modifier and That-Clause: The sentence features a central noun phrase 'offences involving theft accompanied by violence or threats against staff' that is heavily modified by two participial phrases ('involving theft' and 'accompanied by violence or threats against staff'), creating a dense nominal group. This group serves as the subject of the embedded that-clause ('that offences... should be recorded'), which itself contains a passive modal construction ('should be recorded') and a contrastive structure ('rather than'). The main clause uses a participial phrase ('directing that...') to introduce the directive, adding further syntactic layering.該句子包含一個由兩個分詞短語（「involving theft」和「accompanied by violence or threats against staff」）修飾的核心名詞組「offences...」，構成密集的名詞群。此名詞組作為嵌入的 that 子句（「that offences... should be recorded」）的主語，該子句內含被動情態結構（「should be recorded」）及對比結構（「rather than」）。主句使用分詞短語（「directing that...」）引入指令，增加了句法層次。

Official data indicate a marginal decline in recorded shoplifting offences, but a substantial increase in robberies of business property, a shift that may be attributable to a recent Home Office clarification on offence classification.

Appositive Noun Phrase with Relative Clause: The sentence presents a contrast between two data points ('a marginal decline' vs. 'a substantial increase') and then appends a noun phrase ('a shift') that renames the entire preceding clause. This appositive is further modified by a relative clause ('that may be attributable to...'), which introduces a causal explanation. The structure creates a high lexical density and requires the reader to parse the apposition and the relative clause as a cohesive unit.該句子呈現兩個數據點（「a marginal decline」與「a substantial increase」）之間的對比，隨後附加一個名詞短語（「a shift」）作為前述整個子句的同位語。此同位語進一步由一個關係子句（「that may be attributable to...」）修飾，引入因果解釋。該結構具有高詞彙密度，讀者需將同位語與關係子句解析為一個連貫的整體。

Participial Phrase with Embedded Relative Clause: The main clause contains a parenthetical prepositional phrase ('in an interview...') that interrupts the subject-verb flow. The that-clause ('that self-service technology has severed...') is followed by a participial phrase ('leading to situations...') which itself contains a relative clause ('where items fail to scan and no staff are available to assist'). This layered modification creates a chain of cause and effect, demonstrating mastery of participial and relative clause embedding.主句包含一個插入的介詞短語（「in an interview...」）打斷主謂語流。that 子句（「that self-service technology has severed...」）後接一個分詞短語（「leading to situations...」），該分詞短語本身又包含一個關係子句（「where items fail to scan and no staff are available to assist」）。這種層層修飾形成了因果鏈，展現了分詞短語與關係子句嵌入的高超運用。

The call for increased policing was supported by Mr. Roberts of Sainsbury’s, who reported that his firm has become the first retailer to deploy facial recognition technology for staff security.

Passive Voice with Relative Clause and Infinitive: The sentence begins with a passive construction ('The call... was supported by...'), shifting focus from the agent to the action. The relative clause ('who reported that...') provides additional information about Mr. Roberts, and within that clause, the that-clause contains an infinitive phrase ('to deploy facial recognition technology') that specifies the achievement. The combination of passive voice, a non-restrictive relative clause, and an embedded infinitive creates a sophisticated hierarchical structure.該句子以被動結構（「The call... was supported by...」）開頭，將焦點從施動者轉移到動作上。關係子句（「who reported that...」）提供關於 Mr. Roberts 的額外信息，而該子句內的 that 子句包含一個不定式短語（「to deploy facial recognition technology」）具體說明成就。被動語態、非限制性關係子句與嵌入不定式的結合形成了複雜的層次結構。

The data thus present a complex picture, where apparent improvements in one category may reflect changes in recording practices rather than genuine reductions in criminal activity.

Relative Clause with Contrastive Structure: The main clause ('The data thus present a complex picture') is followed by a non-restrictive relative clause introduced by 'where', which elaborates on the nature of the picture. Inside the relative clause, the phrase 'apparent improvements... may reflect changes... rather than genuine reductions' uses a contrastive conjunction ('rather than') to juxtapose two possible interpretations. This structure demonstrates nuanced rhetorical use of a relative clause to present an analytical contrast.主句（「The data thus present a complex picture」）後接一個由「where」引導的非限制性關係子句，進一步說明該圖像的性質。在關係子句內，短語「apparent improvements... may reflect changes... rather than genuine reductions」使用對比連詞「rather than」來並列兩種可能的解釋。此結構展現了關係子句在呈現分析性對比時的細膩修辭運用。