Australian retailers face a 66% surge in weapon-related crime. Now they’re redesigning stores with panic systems and safe rooms to protect frontline staff.
What’s happening: Australian retailers recorded a 66% year-on-year increase in weapon-related crime in 2024, prompting urgent redesigns of store layouts, frontline uniforms and safety procedures. Retailers are deploying physical barriers, panic systems, body-worn cameras and secure staff zones to deter incidents and speed responses when violence occurs.
Why this matters: Young frontline workers face escalating risk daily. Almost one in 10 retail crime events were violent last year, with one in four incidents involving violence, intimidation, harassment, threats or abuse. Redesigning stores around staff safety, not just sales, is now essential to retention, confidence and legal duty of care.
Retailers across Australia are actively redesigning their stores and frontline practices to reduce the rising risk of violence, abuse and theft faced by staff.
The response marries physical layout changes, technology and procedural shifts, all designed to deter incidents, speed responses and create safer working environments for often-young frontline teams.
Data from retailers using the crime reporting software Auror showed that retail crime involving weapons saw a 66% year-on-year increase in 2024. Incidents involving knives and blades increased by more than 40% last year, with these events making up more than 50% of all events involving weapons.
One of the most important of these new measures is the physical redesign of shop layouts to reduce exposure to incidents. This includes the reconfiguration of autonomous checkout zones and smart gates to limit easy exit without payment and protect staff at point of sale. Dedicated staff-only access routes have also shown to be effective, allowing workers to move safely around the shop floor without interference from customers.
Safe rooms, lockable back-office spaces and secure till cages in high-risk locations have been welcomed additions, giving staff an immediate refuge and reducing the need to face violent individuals on the open floor.
Wearable safety tech
Another major redesign is to frontline staff uniforms and the introduction of wearable safety equipment, including body-worn cameras and panic systems that silently summon help and record incidents. These additional pieces of equipment are designed both as deterrents and as rapid-response mechanisms.
Wearable panic buttons and low-profile devices can instantly stream audio and video, share location and alert managers far faster and less disruptively than a public alarm. Duress, an Australian safety-tech company founded by Trav Heaven, has been a major player in promoting wearable safety technology.
“In situations where a staff member is threatened, giving them the ability to be able to notify management and/or emergency services quickly and discreetly can make a big difference to the outcome of the incident,” Heaven says.
Major Australian retailers have started to test and trial body-worn cameras in higher-risk stores to reduce abuse and theft, with Coles announcing body-worn camera trials in 30 selected high-risk supermarkets across South Australia, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia. So far, the results are encouraging, with noticeable decreases in aggressive situations and faster case resolution timeframes.
Heaven emphasises that this type of wearable technology does more than its intended purpose. “It changes behaviour because customers now know they could be recorded at any time, and then this critical evidence being passed onto police. It also gives staff greater confidence and assurance to go about their working duties with less stress and anxiety.”
“One of our clients experienced a fall of 54% in aggressive incidents after equipping their staff with our ‘Eagle’ body camera technology,” Heaven states.
What retailers should prioritise
Even with these advances in technology, it’s important not to forget about the basic and predictable risks. A redesign doesn’t need to be a full refit to make a real impact. Even small, well-placed interventions can reduce confrontation, give staff more control and strengthen overall safety culture.
Start by identifying the areas and times that pose the greatest risk, such as checkout zones, night-shift exits, storerooms and car parks. Use incident data, staff feedback and CCTV footage to build a clear picture of where aggression or theft most often occurs. Then, focus on low-cost, high-impact design changes: improved lighting, one-way customer flow, barriers at checkouts and visible signage that sets clear behavioural expectations.
Once physical risks are mapped, technology can help fill the gaps. Pilot wearable safety devices in a few high-risk stores before a wider rollout. Measure incident frequency and staff confidence month to month.
The key is to make sure staff not only have access to the technology, but also understand how and when to use it. Pairing devices with existing response procedures, such as automatic alerts to managers or security monitoring centres, turns this technology into a true safety system rather than a standalone gadget.
Building evidence policies
Before introducing recording devices like body-worn cameras, invest in a robust privacy and evidence management framework. This protects customers, staff and the business when footage is used for investigations or legal purposes. Policies should cover data storage, access permissions and how footage is handled in accordance with privacy laws.
As crime continues to rise, it is now more important than ever for businesses to prioritise and adopt these types of procedures and technology. The retail sector faces ongoing challenges, making staff safety a critical investment. Lowering the chance of any staff member being put in harm’s way is essential to providing confidence within the industry, particularly as small businesses navigate broader economic pressures.
The upcoming Workplace Health & Safety Show (Sydney Showground, 22–23 October) is an opportunity to discover the latest in workplace safety initiatives and innovations.
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