The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) says the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures confirm the retail crime crisis affecting independent shops nationwide.
Shoplifting offences rose by 13 per cent to 529,994 incidents in the year to June 2025, while theft from the person increased by five per cent to 145,860 offences. Although overall thefts recorded by police fell by four per cent, Bira believes the true scale is far higher. Its latest survey found that 91 per cent of physical abuse incidents and 47 per cent of thefts go unreported, with just 16.7 per cent of cases leading to prosecution.
In response, the government is progressing with its new Crime and Policing Bill, which will remove the £200 threshold for so-called “low level” theft. The Bill will also introduce a standalone offence for assaulting a retail worker, increasing sentencing and improving the visibility of violence against retail staff so police can allocate the necessary resources to tackle the issue.
Andrew Goodacre, CEO of Bira, says: “We welcome the government’s commitment to 3,000 additional neighbourhood officers by March 2026 and the Crime and Policing Bill measures, including ending the £200 theft loophole and creating a new offence for assaulting retail workers. However, we urge swift implementation of the government’s Winter of Action – the renewed focus on tackling shop theft in town centres following the summer crime blitz – and call for consistent police response standards across all forces.”
He adds: “Independent retailers are the backbone of our high streets and need visible support now to protect their businesses, their staff, and their livelihoods.”
Bira said it will continue to monitor crime figures through its bi-annual survey of independent retailers and will present the findings to the Home Office, police forces and policymakers across the UK.
Lucy Whing, crime policy adviser at the British Retail Consortium (BRC), echoed Bira’s concerns, warning that retail theft is costing the sector more than £2.2 billion a year: “While ONS figures do not reveal the true scale of the issue as it only tracks reported incidents, it chimes with our own statistics which show shoplifting soaring in recent years. The causes are manifold, but the rise in organised crime is a particular concern, with gangs systematically hitting stores one after another, all over the country.”
She adds: “Theft is also a major trigger for violence and abuse against staff. Incidents of violence and abuse have risen to over 2,000 per day. These incidents are not restricted to those working in stores: new figures from Usdaw revealed that more than three quarters of delivery drivers have been a victim of abuse and over one in ten have been assaulted over the last twelve months.”