Staff at the Co-op have expressed serious concerns about being left to man stores alone, leaving them open to threats and abuse. 

Despite soaring theft, many employees have reported being left alone to pack online orders as well as managing self-checkouts and tills in some small stores. Workers at larger sites said they too are left in the same position when a colleague takes a break or is managing deliveries.

According to The Guardian, concerns have sky-rocketed as the Co-op, which has campaigned extensively on the problem of shoplifting, is now rolling out ‘Project Lunar’. The project will introduce solo working with only one person on duty in quieter stores. The scheme, which was trialled in five locations in 2024, is being expanded to a total of 60 branches.

The scheme does not include the pre-existing “one-on-one” operation, where one member of staff carries out duties such as filling shelves or managing the stockroom, while the other is on the till and is at times the only public-facing member of staff. The Co-op has not confirmed how many sites use this arrangement.

“Shoplifters threaten to stab staff or, as I was told by one disgusting female, that she would smash my face in,” a member of Co-op store staff based in south London said.

“I’m a grandmother who doesn’t need this. I’ve also witnessed male shoplifters get Stanley knives and screwdrivers to threaten staff members,” she told the campaign group Organise.

Another member of staff said she felt “very unsafe” when working in a one-on-one store.

“You can be alone on the shop floor when one of you goes for a break, and I always feel scared,” she said. “The more people on the shop floor, the greater the deterrent for shoplifters and abusive members of the public,” another member ofthe  Co-op staff added. “We have known shoplifters who will look in the door to see what and how many staff are on duty.”

A Co-op spokesperson said: “Co-op is committed to serving and supporting our communities, providing good value prices, excellent promotions and quality products for all of our members and customers.

“Alongside a rewarding and safe working environment for our colleagues across all our stores. Co-op has been at the forefront of campaigning for a crackdown on retail crime, investing in the very latest security measures, with the safety and wellbeing of all colleagues as our clear priority.”