Handbag Thefts and Losses Cost British Women £4.9bn

Handbag thefts and losses are costing British women £4.9bn according to research out today.

The research, by home insurer Churchill, reveals that a third of women (33%) have lost their handbag and thirty-one percent have had their handbag stolen on at least one occasion.

On average, every time a handbag goes missing, women are faced with a £228 bill to replace the bag and its contents. These include home and car keys, wallets, make-up and even medication.

Dealing with a lost or stolen handbag also takes considerable time. The research shows that each woman will spend six working days sorting it out – getting new keys cut, contacting banks and mobile phone operators and shopping for new contents. 

In addition, monetary losses could go further than the bag. Each handbag contains three credit or cash cards and the research shows that one in ten women (12%) has had money taken from their bank account after their bag disappeared.

It may come as no surprise that nearly three-quarters of women (72%) admit they live in fear that their bag will be misplaced or snatched.

Abi Clark, spokesperson for Churchill Home Insurance, said:

“The theft or loss of a bag can cause a woman no end of problems, stress and worry. We carry a lot of value in our bags and it can take substantial time and money to cancel credit cards, have new home and car keys cut and replace lost luxury items too.

And as this has happened to numerous women, it’s no wonder that so many are left concerned that one day it will happen to them.”

The research illustrates the most common places that women’s handbags disappear:

• Nearly a quarter of women had their bag stolen in a bar or pub (23%)
• One in ten women had their bag stolen at work (10%)
• Nearly one in ten (9%) had their bag stolen whilst on holiday
• Seven percent had their bag stolen from their car or within their home
• Six percent had their bag stolen on a train or tube

The research also reveals the top ten handbag contents to be:

Handbag Top Ten

1. Home Keys (94%)
2. Cash (94%)
3. Credit / cash cards (88%)
4. Personal mobile phone (84%)
5. Wallet (68%)
6. Make-up and perfume (61%)
7. Car keys (59%)
8. Membership cards (46%)
9. Driving License (36%)
10. Medication (32%)

 

Notes to Editors:

* Research commissioned by Churchill Home Insurance with 2,413 UK adults, March 2006.

 

For more information please contact:

Abi Clark
Churchill Insurance
020 8313 5830
pressoffice@churchill.com