The retailer revealed shoplifting incidents at the co-op reached an all-time high last year, with more than 100 store staff facing abuse from criminals every day.

The group disclosed the extent of the problem in its annual report, which showed a sharp fall in annual profits after selling the petrol stations to Asda.

Co-op said the number of retail crime incidents jumped 44% in 2023 compared with 2022.

There were 336,270 incidents of shoplifting and anti-social behavior in its food stores during the year, equivalent to 1,000 incidents a day.

Co-op Food Retail general manager Matt Hood said repeat offenders and organized crime gangs were causing a spike in crime in stores.

He said: “Despite the extensive measures we have taken and the £200m we have spent to protect our colleagues, the reality is that four colleagues are attacked every day and up to 116 more will be seriously abused.”

The group has invested in body cameras and CCTV for staff and has been trialling security measures including secure kiosks, locked doors for high-value products, virtual packaging and automated CCTV.

Mr Hood said: “We welcome the Government’s Retail Crime Action Plan announced last year to ensure police are involved in all incidents.”

“I hesitate when I say this because we now have to see it play out in our stores so that desperate calls to police from frontline colleagues are responded to and criminals do start to realize that their actions have real consequences. consequences of shoplifting in our stores.”

Earlier this year, the Co-op found that police did not attend court in 79 per cent of incidents where offenders were detained.

But new figures show there are signs of improvement in police response rates since the government launched its retail scheme.

Despite this, three in five detained offenders still walk away, which the organization says continues to send the message that shoplifting is a crime without consequences.

The Co-op has been outspoken in calling for more action in the UK as it says the vast majority of criminals escape, including urging police forces to take crime more seriously and tackle prolific offenders.

Recent figures from the Office for National Statistics show that the number of shoplifting crimes recorded by police in England and Wales rose to the highest level in 20 years in the year to September.

The number of illegal cases increased by nearly one-third compared with last year, with the total number exceeding 400,000.

Separate analysis by the British Retail Consortium found that violence and abuse against store staff surged last year, with around 1,300 incidents a day across the industry, ranging from verbal abuse to threats of weapons.

Meanwhile, the retail to funeral business revealed pre-tax profits fell by £240m in 2023 to £28m compared with 2022.

The Co-op said 2022 profit figures were affected by the sale of its petrol forecourt business to Asda.

Later this year, the two supermarket giants struck a deal worth £600 million for 132 petrol stations.

The Co-op also revealed that revenue will fall to £11.3bn in 2023 from £11.5bn the previous year, partly due to falling food sales.

Excluding the impact of the sale of gas stations, food retail sales increased by 4.3% year-on-year.

The Co-op said its active members – who collectively own the business and receive deals and discounted prices – had grown to more than 5 million by the end of 2023.

Member purchases at its food stores accounted for 37% of total purchases, the highest level in four years.

As consumers continue to be affected by rising costs of living, the group invested £90m throughout the year to reduce food prices and introduce members-only pricing on everyday essentials.

Mr Hood told PA the action had led to an increase in shopper numbers and the number of people choosing to become members.

He also said there had been a resurgence in “food-to-go” sales as workers returned to city center offices following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Earlier this year, the group said it aimed to open new convenience stores and planned to rapidly expand its membership program as part of a new growth strategy.