A report by the anti-slavery charity Unseen has found that cases of modern slavery in the UK's retail sector nearly doubled between 2024 and 2025. Modern slavery includes practices such as human trafficking, forced labor, and servitude, and the charity's helpline identified 201 potential victims in the retail industry in 2025—compared to just 100 the previous year and only one in 2021. This sharp increase highlights growing concerns about exploitation in the sector, which is facing challenges such as the rise of online shopping and the cost of living crisis. Unseen said that many migrant workers are being brought to the UK to work in low-level retail roles, despite skilled worker visas being reserved for managerial or director positions. The charity noted that while recent policy changes aim to help victims by removing restrictions on changing jobs after exploitation is confirmed, these changes do not prevent exploitation from occurring in the first place. Sri Lankan nationals were the most commonly reported group among potential victims between January 2025 and June 2025, followed by Indian and Pakistani nationals. Retail was the fifth most common sector for modern slavery reports in 2025, according to the charity. Most cases involved supermarkets (69%) and convenience stores (76%). Victims described being paid below the minimum wage, forced to live in accommodation tied to their work, and threatened with visa revocation or deportation if they tried to leave. Unseen said that challenges like the shift to online shopping and the aftermath of the pandemic have created conditions where human rights are compromised to protect profit margins. Justine Carter, deputy chief executive at Unseen, said that modern slavery in retail is happening in places many people visit daily, such as supermarkets and corner shops. She called on the government, law enforcement, and the retail sector to work together to close the gaps that allow exploitation to occur and to ensure workers are aware of their rights before arriving in the UK. New rules, set to take effect in October, will allow victims of modern slavery to change jobs without affecting their immigration status, provided they receive a formal recognition of their victim status through the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). However, Unseen warned that these changes do not prevent exploitation and could be undermined if support access is restricted.