For the most serious cases of assault, criminals could face a life sentence, while serial offenders will be forced to wear tags to track their movements.
Fashion retailers have welcomed the UK government's decision to make assaulting a retail worker a standalone criminal offence. But, does the measure go far enough to crack down on the rise of retail crime rates?
The spate cost retailers around £1.8bn, a record sum, and the first time it has surpassed the £1bn mark, according to an annual survey by the British Retail Consortium (BRC).