Wholesalers are increasingly concerned retail crime sprees could spread to their sector, The Grocer understands.
Last week, supermarket shrinkage chiefs issued a warning that social media-organised looting sprees – like the one witnessed in Oxford Street this month – are headed for grocery stores.
The Grocer understands those fears are now being shared by some leading wholesalers.
Those concerns prompted the Federation of Wholesale Distributors to issue advice to its members on how to reduce the risk of an attack, or be better prepared in the case of such an incident.
The impact of theft in a wholesale depot could be huge, given the large volumes and high value of products stocked inside depots and bonded warehouses. As such, operators have historically employed stronger crime prevention measures than those typically seen in a retail setting. These include the registering of all customers and CCTV in depots and car parks, as well as security barriers at car park exits.
However, as the model has evolved, some wholesalers’ premises are designed to be more retail-focused and allow more members of the public to visit their premises, rather than just registered business owner customers.
The FWD is advising members to stay alert and work with local police and business representatives. It is understood retailers on Oxford Street were given a warning via the New West End Company, which gave them a chance to prepare.
“While this is unlikely to happen in the wholesale sector, our advice to members is to engage with your local police force and business crime reduction partnership to find out about any planned thefts or looting, then take their advice,” suggested FWD CEO James Bielby.
“We saw in the 2011 London riots some targeting of wholesale premises but this was mercifully rare in the wider context of unrest.”
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