Less sympathy for shoplifters, back retailers – CSNA
Irish retailers face rising shoplifting, repeat offenders, and slow Garda response times, with many calling for tougher action and legal reform
Print29 September 2025
A recent survey revealed two-thirds of Irish businesses expressed dissatisfaction with garda response times to crime reports.
Persistent shoplifters should be named and shamed, and their photos should be posted in public and shared among other retailers, says former garda Trevor Laffan.
Shoplifting is a massive problem for retailers, the CSNA report.
Worsening issue
It has been a longstanding issue, despite the use of CCTV, security systems and door staff, it seems to be worse today than it was 40 years ago.
Threatening or assaulting retail workers has grown to such an extent that some retailers may even prefer to let thieves walk out of the store unchallenged to protect the staff from harm, the CSNA added.
Despite external concerns, retailers are losing financially due to the volume of thefts faced in-store.
An even bigger scourge to retailers is the organised gangs of shoplifters.
Distraction tactics are often used to shift the focus on the retail staff, often in a rehearsed manner.
They can be extremely well organised and often use special containers to secrete the stolen goods and to avoid detection systems.
Retailers, security personnel, and even police officers need to be certain of their ground before challenging these thieves because getting it wrong could cost the retailer dearly.
Cork CSNA national executive member Willie O’Brien has called for changes to the legal system to better tackle repeat offenders, as a survey revealed that 36% of Irish small to medium enterprises were affected by crime in the past 12 months, with the figure as high as 100% for convenience stores.
ISME’s Business Crime Survey 2025 found that of Irish businesses which experienced crime, 68% were targeted more than once, and that 34% of SMEs spend over €5,000 annually on crime prevention.
Willie spends €40,000 per year on security.
“Retailers have to incur security costs and cover the costs of losses, while we’re dealing with rising costs for electricity, products, wages, just like everybody else,” he said.
A total of 67% of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with Garda response times, and 76% of retailers said they had experienced financial losses, with 36% reporting losses exceeding €10,000 in a year.
Fed-up shopkeepers tell how it’s not worth their time calling gardaí anymore.
Read more: CSNA exclusive ARAG Policy cover
© 2025, ShelfLife by CSNA
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