Scottish Retail Consortium speaks up over 20% rise in store thefts
THE Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) wants increased funding for the Police Scotland Retail Crime Taskforce after the latest official recorded crime figures for the country showed shoplifting had soared by 20% during the year to June.
The stats show shoplifting skyrocketed from 47,381 the previous year to 56,920 crimes this year, and were up by 129% from the year ending June 2022, when there were 24,877 recorded crimes.
Ewan MacDonald-Russell, deputy head of the SRC, said: “These figures highlight the sheer scale of criminality affecting Scotland’s shops. Some of the increase of late will be as a consequence of the new shoplifting reporting tool and improved response to incidents from the police following the creation last year of the Retail Crime Taskforce.
“But this doesn’t obviate the need for more action, especially as thefts are a key factor behind rising levels of abuse and threats towards store workers. The financial cost of crime against retailers also pushes up prices for shoppers and undermines the health and vitality of our high streets.
“To stem and reverse the rise in thefts, abuse, and anti-social behaviour government funding for the Retail Crime Taskforce should be enhanced to extend the Taskforce’s reach and number of hotspots targeted.”
The crime numbers come after the SRC’s own data showed Scottish retailers enjoyed a good month when it came to sales and footfall during July.
Covering the four weeks to 1 August, total sales in Scotland rose by 8% when compared to the same time period in 2025. Food sales were up 2.2% year-on-year, highlighting a strong performance during the summer.
MacDonald-Russell said: “There was joy for retailers in July as sales continued to rise, with a real-terms rise of over 7%. That beats June’s strong performance, setting a new three-year high for the industry.”
Similarly, footfall increased by 2.7% compared to 2025, with an influx of international visitors boosting overall performance thanks, in part, to the Commonwealth Games and the start of the Scottish summer holidays.
MacDonald-Russell added: “Shopping centres and retail parks both saw 3% in growth across the period, while Edinburgh continues to lead the way across the UK with strong footfall from visitors to the city centre.
“So far this has been a summer of recovery after a challenging start to the year. The industry will hope the administrations in both Westminster and Holyrood do nothing to derail this when they return after the summer recess.”
