UK retail crime still rising
Shoplifting continues to rise despite UK measures, with tougher action urgently needed according to the Fed.
Print30 January 2026
The Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) has recently welcomed the UK government’s announcement of measures to crack down on retail crime but says more needs to be done – and quickly.
While the latest crime figures show that the increase in shoplifting has slowed compared to last year, the worrying aspect for independent retailers is the fact that it is still going up.
ONS
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed this week that the number of reported incidents of shoplifting between September 2024 and September 2025 increased by 5 per cent to 519,381, compared with the previous year’s 492,660 offences, which was an increase of 20 per cent.
The Fed’s National President Hetal Patel said: “While it would seem from these latest statistics that shoplifting is levelling off a bit, the fact remains that is still increasing.
“In any case, the ONS is talking about reported crime, which everyone knows is only part of the true picture. We know many of our members don’t always report every incident.”
The Fed has welcomed this week’s Home Office announcement of the Police Reform White Paper and action to make police presence more visible as part of the Neighbourhood Police Guarantee.
The federation also repeated calls for a targeted £6,500 grant scheme to improve security in smaller stores through CCTV and facial recognition.
Mr Patel added: “Which ever way you look at it, shoplifting and other retail crime continues to blight the lives of honest, law abiding shopkeepers and their staff.
“The government’s intentions are to be applauded, and we sincerely hope that the reforms being proposed by the Home Office will have a positive effect on reducing retail crime.”
Read more: Justice Minister vows to tackle retail crime
© 2026, ShelfLife by Ryan Brennan
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