New Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures reveals that there were 529,994 shoplifting offences recorded in the year ending to June and the British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) is demanding action as retailers are being hit hard by the ongoing “crime crisis.”
The latest ONS data shows there has been a 13% increase in shoplifting and Bira is calling this a “retail crime crisis.”
The retail lobby group said, “When incidents are reported, only 16.7% lead to prosecution. This means that Bira believes the true scale of retail crime is far greater than even the official ONS figures suggest, with repeat offenders accounting for nearly 70% of incidents.”
Andrew Goodacre, CEO of Bira, said, “We welcome the Government’s commitment to 3,000 additional neighbourhood officers by March 2026 and the Crime and Policing Bill measures, including ending the £200 theft loophole and creating a new offence for assaulting retail workers.
“However, we urge swift implementation of the Government’s Winter of Action – the renewed focus on tackling shop theft in town centres following the summer crime blitz – and call for consistent police response standards across all forces.”
He added: “We would also like to see greater use of community behaviour orders (CBOs) in order to deal with the perennial offenders. Independent retailers are the backbone of our high streets and need visible support now to protect their businesses, their staff, and their livelihoods.”
Lucy Whing, Crime Policy Adviser at the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said, “Retail theft is a major issue for retailers, costing over £2.2bn a year.
“While ONS figures do not reveal the true scale of the issue as it only tracks reported incidents, it chimes with our own statistics which show shoplifting soaring in recent years.
“The causes are manifold, but the rise in organised crime is a particular concern, with gangs systematically hitting stores one after another, all over the country.
“Theft is also a major trigger for violence and abuse against staff. Incidents of violence and abuse have risen to over 2,000 per day. These incidents are not restricted to those working in stores: new figures from Usdaw revealed that more than three quarters of delivery drivers have been a victim of abuse and over one in ten have been assaulted over the last twelve months.
“Fortunately, Government and police are committed to turning the tide on crime. We are edging closer to the implementation of the Crime and Policing Bill, which will soon go to the Committee Stage.
“The Bill will remove the £200 threshold for ‘low level’ theft, which will send a clear signal that all shoplifting is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. It will also introduce a standalone offence for assaulting a retail worker, which will increase sentencing and improve the visibility of violence against retail workers so that police can allocate the necessary resources to tackle this challenge. We call on the government to ensure that the final Act extends protections to include delivery drivers.”
