Police-recorded shoplifting in England and Wales fell to 519,516 offences in the year to June 2026, but retailers are calling for delayed legal protections for shop workers to take effect.
Shoplifting offences in England and Wales fell by 2% in the year ending June 2026, according to official figures, but retailers are urging the UK government to implement delayed measures to tackle retail crime.
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Figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on 22 October show that police recorded 519,516 shoplifting offences, down from 530,336 in the previous 12 months.
The decline reverses the recent rise in recorded shoplifting, although the annual total remains above half a million offences.
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) welcomed the reduction but warned that theft, violence and abuse against shop workers remain serious concerns.
The trade body is calling for measures under the Crime and Policing Act 2026 to take effect, including a specific criminal offence of assaulting a retail worker.
Shoplifting declines amid reporting concerns
The latest ONS figures show 10,820 fewer police-recorded shoplifting offences than in the year ending June 2025.
However, the data do not capture every theft experienced by retailers. Police-recorded crime covers offences reported to and recorded by police, excluding incidents that go unreported.
The ONS cautions that changes in reporting behaviour and police recording practices can affect the statistics. The figures therefore do not provide a complete picture of underlying crime trends.
Its main household crime survey does not cover offences against businesses, making police records an important source of shoplifting data.
Low reporting rates remain a challenge. Police are encouraging retailers to report thefts and provide evidence, including CCTV footage, to help identify offenders and connect related incidents.
The figures therefore reflect recorded shoplifting rather than the full extent of retail theft across England and Wales.
Retailers warn of violence against shop workers
Despite the decline in recorded shoplifting, the BRC said retailers continue to face significant levels of theft, violence and abuse.
Lucy Whing, crime policy adviser at the BRC, said: “Retailers will welcome today’s figures, but progress on tackling shop theft is still too slow.”
The organisation estimates that retail workers experience around 1,600 incidents of violence or abuse each day.
The BRC argues that shop theft has consequences beyond the loss of goods, putting employees at risk and increasing operating costs for retailers.
Whing said: “Theft is not a victimless crime: it fuels violence against shop workers, and adds costs that ultimately hit shoppers’ pockets.”
The trade body is calling for stronger legal protections against threats and assaults as retailers seek to improve staff safety and reduce the impact of crime on their businesses.
New retail crime laws await implementation
The BRC’s concerns centre on the Crime and Policing Act 2026, which received Royal Assent on 29 April.
The legislation introduces a specific offence of assaulting a retail worker in England and Wales. Under the initial sentencing provisions, offenders could face up to six months in prison, an unlimited fine or both.
The Act also includes provisions for criminal behaviour orders following convictions, subject to legal conditions. These orders can restrict offenders’ activities and may prevent them from entering specified retail premises.
Another measure removes the special legal treatment previously applied to shop theft involving goods worth £200 or less. The change would bring low-value shoplifting under the general legal framework for theft, removing the separate provision governing how such cases are tried.
However, the relevant provisions did not automatically take effect when the Act received Royal Assent. They require commencement regulations before they can be enforced.
The government outlined the planned changes in its retail crime factsheet, updated on 30 September.
Whing said the new protections had still not come into force six months after the legislation passed.
The BRC is urging ministers to announce an implementation date, arguing that the measures would strengthen the response to shop theft and assaults on retail workers.
Police recording changes affect shoplifting figures
Changes in how police classify offences have also influenced the latest crime statistics.
Police-recorded robbery increased by 10% to 88,282 offences in the year ending June 2026. The ONS attributed the rise mainly to improvements in recording robberies involving business property.
Under clarified recording rules, incidents in which an offender steals from a shop and uses or threatens violence against someone during the theft or while escaping should be recorded as robbery.
Some incidents may previously have been classified as shoplifting or another offence.
The ONS said the clarification was likely to have contributed slightly to the decline in recorded shoplifting.
The 2% reduction should therefore not be interpreted as an equivalent fall in retail theft overall. Changes in classification can shift offences between categories without necessarily reflecting a similar change in criminal activity.
This distinction is particularly relevant to incidents involving threats or violence against shop workers.
BRC seeks action ahead of retail crime initiative
The BRC wants the government to announce when the new legal protections will take effect during a nationwide week of action against retail crime, scheduled to begin on 9 November 2026.
The initiative is expected to bring together police, retailers and government representatives to tackle crime affecting shops and their employees.
Whing has urged ministers to use the event to confirm a start date for the delayed measures.
The BRC argues that implementing the provisions would reassure retail workers and strengthen the response to shop theft and violence.
For retailers, the timing of the new laws remains important as businesses continue to face theft-related losses and risks to employee safety.
While the latest ONS figures show a modest decline in recorded shoplifting, the BRC maintains that further action is needed to tackle retail crime and protect frontline workers.
