The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed the number of shoplifting incidents has surged by 20% in a year.
The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) covering the year ending March 2025 shows there were 530,643 shoplifting offences between then and March ’24, up from 444,022 in the previous 12 months.
Worryingly, the trend is also accelerating in the short term , as ONS statistics for 2024 as a whole indicate there were 516,971 shoplifting incidents over that period.
The ONS says the figures are the highest on record, but while the CSEW is based on a substantial survey of over 30,000 people, it does not necessarily reflect the true scale of the problem. The British Retailers’ Association has previously estimated 80% of shopkeepers have been the victim of theft over the past year.
The Federation of Independent Retailers called the ONS’ latest data “the tip of the iceberg”, with many incidents going unreported “due to a lack of confidence in the response from police and inadequate punishment from the courts”.
Nick Fisher, chief executive of retail security and technology firm Facewatch, says the figures “lay bare the reality” that “retail crime remains out of control”. Fisher adds that shoplifting was no longer opportunistic, but has become “industrial, organised, and increasingly violent”. He believes the issue requires “national resolve and a joined-up response, with law enforcement, legislation and innovation all working together”.
