Liquor is the most frequently reported stolen item in the retail industry, as high as 37 per cent, and retail workers are also contending with rising levels of violence with assaults increasing by 47 per cent in recent years.
The initiative aims to improve safety through education, awareness and advocacy.
A Liquorland Greenacre staff member said there was good security at the store and as such, it had been a long time since any incidents of theft.
“But we support moves to make the industry safer,” he said.
Bankstown Bottler has had only one theft in the last month.
“It helps that we’re inside the shopping centre, it just give us added security,” he said.
BWS Revesby said theft was not an issue for them, while Liquorland Padstow said they often had “a few cans walk out the door”.
“We haven’t noticed a rise in theft and there’s rarely any abusive incidents,” the employee said.
Premix King Punchbowl said they had a robbery last week when “some kids ran off with alcoholic Solo”.
“We’ve got great CCTV and if there are incidents, just hand everything to police,” he said.
Likewise BWS Bass Hill has only had a few minor thefts lately.
“But whatever can be done for even more security, is a good thing,” he said.
As part of the initiative, Retail Drinks has developed an online toolkit which includes information on topics like working with police, improving security and teaching staff how to apply de-escalation principles.
To download the toolkit: retaildrinks.org.au/policies-advocacy/safe-to-serve.
Liquor shop staff praise safety push
RETAIL Drinks Australia is ensuring liquor stores are ‘Safe to Serve’, with the launch of a national initiative to better protect its 75,000 strong workforce, with bottle shop operators praising the move.
