Shoplifting increased to 519,381 incidents, in the year ending September 2025, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The number of offences rose 5% from 492,660 the year prior, said the ONS figures.

British Retail Consortium (BRC) crime policy adviser Lucy Whing said: “Retail theft is a serious issue for retailers across the country.

“While the causes are manifold, the rise in organised crime is particularly concerning, with gangs systematically targeting one store after another.”

She said theft was “one of the main triggers for violence and abuse” against retail staff, but added that the Government, police and retailers were “committed to working together to turn the tide on crime”.

“We will soon see the implementation of the Crime and Policing Bill, which will remove the £200 threshold for ‘low level’ theft, sending a clear signal that shoplifting will not be tolerated,” she said.

“It will also introduce a standalone offence for assaulting a retail worker, strengthening sentencing and improving the visibility of violence against retail workers so that police can allocate the necessary resources to tackle this challenge and protect our high streets and colleagues.”

The figures follow recent reports that facial recognition technology firm Facewatch sent more than half a million real-time offender alerts to retailers in 2025, more than doubling the number issued the previous year.

The platform issued 516,739 alerts to its retail subscriber network last year, up from 252,943 alerts in 2024, marking an increase of just over 100% year-on-year.

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