Why limit it to Retail companies?
If looks like being a success then *all* companies should be allowed to access this database. Surely staff sometimes move from the Retail world into other fields. It's only fair that all industries can be protected from employing dodgy (allegedly) staff.
It's only by the adoption of sensible schemes like this and a national ID card that major companies will be protected from losing such huge sums of money. Why should their shareholders be penalised because of the actions of a few (million) feckless employees???
I blame lethal Skunk.