Police in Scotland recorded more than 1,000 shoplifting crimes a week in the year to June 2026, as recorded theft from stores increased by 20%.
New Scottish Government figures show Police Scotland recorded 56,920 shoplifting crimes during the 12-month period, compared with 47,381 a year earlier.
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
The latest total was also 129% higher than the 24,877 shoplifting crimes recorded in the year ending June 2022.
The Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) has called for further action to tackle retail crime, including increased funding for Police Scotland’s Retail Crime Taskforce.
Shoplifting drives rise in crimes of dishonesty
Shoplifting was a major contributor to a broader increase in crimes of dishonesty across Scotland.
Police recorded 123,906 crimes of dishonesty in the year ending June 2026, up 10% from 112,421 in the previous year and 27% from 97,207 in the year ending June 2022.
Shoplifting increased by 9,539 crimes year on year, accounting for around 83% of the 11,485 increase in recorded crimes of dishonesty.
Overall, Police Scotland recorded 323,531 crimes during the period, 7% more than a year earlier and 13% above the level recorded in the year ending June 2022.
Scottish retailers seek further action
Responding to the figures, Ewan MacDonald-Russell, deputy head of the SRC, said: “Thieving from stores has skyrocketed in recent years with over a thousand incidents a week being recorded by police.”
He said the increase had come despite record spending by retailers on crime prevention.
However, MacDonald-Russell cautioned that part of the recent increase in recorded shoplifting could reflect changes in reporting and policing.
“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 Police Scotland’s Retail Crime Taskforce,” he said.
The distinction is important because the Scottish Government figures measure crimes recorded by police rather than providing a complete estimate of all shoplifting taking place in Scotland.
Retail theft linked to worker abuse
The SRC said retail theft has wider consequences for businesses, employees and consumers.
According to the industry body, theft is a key factor behind increasing abuse and threats directed at store workers. It also said the financial cost of retail crime can put pressure on retailers and consumers and affect the health of high streets.
MacDonald-Russell called for greater government support for the Retail Crime Taskforce to expand its reach and target more retail crime hotspots.
“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,” he said.
The latest figures highlight the continuing pressure on Scotland’s retailers from shoplifting and other forms of retail crime, while the SRC is calling for further investment in the police response.
