Rate of shoplifting increases as the Fed demand action
RETAILERS have demanded more swift action to curb the rise of retail crime across their stores, according to the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed).
New figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed another increase in the rate of shoplifting across the UK. The ONS said that the number of reported incidents of shoplifting between September 2024 to September 2025 increased to 519,381 representing a 5% jump from 2024’s figure.
The ONS reported there were 492,660 incidents reported in the year to September 2024, which represented a 20% increase from the previous year showing how the issue has only grown since then.
The Fed said that while these figures show that the increase in shoplifting has slowed compared to last year, the fact that the number is still going up is still a worry for its retailers.
Even with the recent announcement from the UK Government of the Police Reform White Paper and action to make police presence more visible as part of the Neighbourhood Police Guarantee, the industry body has argued that more needs to be done and quickly.
Hetal Patel, national president at the Fed, 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.
“Whichever 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.”
