Modern slavery victims in retail industry double in a year

A new report from the anti-slavery charity Unseen has revealed a sharp rise in modern slavery reports from the UK retail industry between 2024 and 2025, with the number of potential victims doubling in that time.

Unseen’s report ‘Behind the counter: modern slavery in the retail sector’ showed that the number of reports to the Modern Slavery and Exploitation Hotline increased from 33 to 65, and the number of victims doubled from 100 to 201.

The report looks at slavery and exploitation in various retail settings from convenience stores to supermarkets and retail franchises. By the end of 2025 retail was the fifth most common industry for modern slavery cases, and in the first six months of this year 40 cases involving 85 potential victims have already been identified. Retail has accounted for 7% of all modern slavery cases during this period.

Unseen are calling for a reform of the Skilled Worker Visa route of entry to the UK, to provide clearer information about visa costs and worker’s rights, along with better protections for those who are sponsored to come here. They also call for stronger checks on employers who want to sponsor migrant workers. They urge the public to be alert to possible signs of exploitation such as workers appearing fearful or controlled, unable to speak freely, living at their place of work, or working excessive hours.

Justine Carter, Deputy CEO at Unseen, said: “Modern slavery is often described as hidden, but in retail it is happening in places many of us visit every day. Behind the counter, people are being exploited in plain sight. In addition to the human suffering and human rights violations, failing to tackle the exploitation of foreign nationals also poses a significant risk to the UK retail sector itself… The response needs to go beyond individual businesses. Government, enforcement bodies and the retail sector must work together to close the loopholes that allow exploitation to happen and ensure that workers understand their rights before they arrive in the UK.”