‘You are a shame, Robbie Williams’: Retail chiefs blast ‘vastly wealthy pop star mocking a severe social downside’ as singer tweets to 2.4mn followers: Anybody bought any tips about shoplifting?

Livid retail bosses have hit out at Robbie Williams after he made a ‘disgraceful’ joke about Britain’s shoplifting epidemic.

The multi-millionaire singer, 49, tweeted to his 2.4 million followers: ‘Considering of stepping into shoplifting. Anybody bought any suggestions?’

Thefts are at an all-time excessive, with one taking place each two seconds, costing retailers greater than £1 billion a 12 months.

1000’s of retail employees have been threatened or assaulted by shoplifters, and The Mail on Sunday has launched a marketing campaign calling on the authorities to crack down on thieves.

‘The Robbie Williams remark is a shame,’ stated Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the Centre for Retail Analysis. ‘If shoplifting was principally all about his music royalties, he would instantly be taking the ethical excessive floor.’

Livid retail bosses have hit out at Robbie Williams after he made a ‘disgraceful’ joke about Britain’s shoplifting epidemic

The multi-millionaire singer, 49, tweeted to his 2.4 million followers: ‘Considering of stepping into shoplifting. Anybody bought any suggestions?’

James Lowman, chief govt of the Affiliation of Comfort Shops, which represents 33,500 retailers, stated: ‘Store theft is a criminal offense with actual victims, typically small companies making an attempt to make ends meet, and there is been a large improve in incidents not too long ago. Coping with theft positively is not humorous for the 1000’s of outlets which can be being focused every day.’

Luke Johnson, CEO of Gail’s Bakery, accused Williams of a ‘very poor style joke’, including: ‘Store employees are going through an enormous improve in crime and violence. A vastly wealthy ex-pop star mocking a severe social and financial downside exhibits a star actually misplaced in showbiz.’

Muntazir Dipoti, president of the Federation of Unbiased Retailers, which has 10,500 members, stated: ‘Prior to now six months we have had 30 or 40 retailers shut and so they’re saying they can not sustain with theft and with rising prices due to the cost-of-living disaster.’

Williams, who’s price a reported £230 million, despatched the primary tweet on Monday night time and adopted it up with one other remark saying: ‘I am simply going to the retailers… anybody need something?’

He then despatched a photograph claiming he managed to get ‘some scotch guard, an umbrella and a figurine of St. Joseph’, including: ‘It was thrilling.’

Neil Mackay, who owns Mackays of Cambridge, a {hardware} store, stated the ex-Take That star’s feedback have been ‘appalling’. He added: ‘It isn’t a joke for enterprise house owners, a lot of whom really feel very threatened. As a lot as I love Robbie Williams’ singing, I feel he must be singing a unique tune.’

A latest survey carried out by the USDAW commerce union, which represents retail employees, discovered three-quarters of retailer employees suffered abuse from prospects, with many experiencing threats and violence.

Primarily based on 7,000 responses, 74 per cent stated they have been verbally abused, 49 per cent have been threatened and almost eight per cent had been assaulted. In consequence, 30 per cent of employees have been contemplating leaving their job. 

Paddy Lillis, USDAW Basic Secretary, stated: ‘Shoplifting isn’t a victimless crime. Theft from retailers has lengthy been a serious flashpoint for violence and abuse in opposition to shopworkers. Confronted with such appalling excessive ranges of assaults on store employees, together with a rising epidemic of retail crime, way more must be completed.’

Robbie Williams declined to touch upon the matter.