Shoplifting in the UK reached the highest level recorded in 2023, emphasising the scale of the issues facing both retailers and consumers.
Some 5.6 million incidents of shop theft were reported last year, beating the previous record of 1.1 million, new data from the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) revealed.
It meant around 600 incidents of theft occurred every hour in British stores last year.
Violent incidents towards retailers and employees also surged, with around 76,000 incidents having been reported in 2023, compared to 41,000 in 2022.
Retailers, in response, have spent a combined £339 million in efforts to reduce the issue, with measures like CCTV, intruder alarms and internal communication systems being introduced.
James Lowman, chief executive of ACS, said: “Retailers are facing an onslaught of crime committed against their businesses on a daily basis, with some losing tens of thousands of pounds per year to theft alone.
“Thieves are known to the community and to the police but they simply do not care, and continue on regardless, filling baskets and trolleys and walking out without fear of reproach.”
Lowman noted the good being done by the publication of the Retail Crime Action Plan and the launch of the crime unit Operation Pegasus but believes more needs to be done.
“Nobody should have to come to work and face what retailers and their colleagues have faced over the last year,” he concluded.