50 Percent of Retailers Report Spike in Organised Criminal Activity: Industry Body

Forty-five percent of small businesses had to temporarily close their stores due to crime. 

People walk past the Myer Melbourne department store on Bourke Street in Melbourne, Australia on July 30, 2015. Scott Barbour/Getty Images

Retailers have reported a spike in organised criminal activity with over 90 percent experiencing some level of retail crime.

Tougher penalties for individuals who assault workers was one proposal identified by retailers during a crime symposium hosted by the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) this week.