South Australia has been credited with taking the lead in cracking down on retail crime, with newly introduced Workplace Protection Orders (WPOs) set to give retailers a stronger legal backing.

These orders – introduced this month – allow retailers to bar individuals from entering or being within a particular distance of a business. The South Australian Government said these orders will be granted by the courts “if there are concerns they will continue to engage in a personally violent manner or display intimidating behaviour in the workplace”.

This comes from a government that, in January, reported already witnessing a decline in retail theft. Figures at the start of the year said that such crimes decreased by 15 per cent, from 21,987 incidents in the 2025 reporting period compared with 25,834 in 2024.

For contrast, the latest figures from New South Wales show a 9.3 per cent increase in retail crime over the previous two years; Victoria reached record highs by the end of 2025, increasing 4.2 per cent year-on-year.

But South Australia has been blighted by its own major incidents. In September 2025, South Australia Police foiled an individual responsible for $250,000 worth of Lego thefts.

“It’s the beginning of a new era for retail worker safety in South Australia,” Australian Retail Council (ARC) CEO, Chris Rodwell, said.

“Workplace Protection Orders give retailers and authorities a practical, enforceable tool to stop repeat offenders returning to stores where they have threatened, abused or assaulted staff. Retail workers deserve to feel safe at work. These orders provide a clear mechanism to keep violent and abusive offenders out of stores and away from retail workers.”

Rodwell credited South Australia for setting the benchmark. “Other states and territories should move quickly to introduce similar measures so retail workers across the country have access to the same protections,” he added.