Shoplifting is a scourge on honest retailers and according to reports, it’s at epidemic levels. With countless stories in the broadcast media on the subject detailing how theft is sometimes opportunist, sometimes to order, but always at the expense of the retailer, the subject is now a hot topic.
Consider the Gloucester kleptomaniac, Lisa Dalby, who was banned – mid-October – from all bar three stores in Gloucestershire following a £4000-worth series of thefts. Then there are the retailers in Kettering who say that shoplifting is breaking them; one – a home and gift shop – said that shoplifters are regular customers.
Is the problem really getting worse?
According to Statista, using ONS data, there were 342,343 shoplifting offences in 2022/23, up from 275,076 the previous year and 228,154 recorded in 2019/20. Notably, those two lower years might seem high in their own right, but in reality they were lulls following Covid which caused retail closures and ‘shoppers’ to stay away and instead buy online.
Where the numbers get interesting is when data from much earlier years is examined. Statista highlights that, for example, in 2002/03 there were 310,881 offences, a similar number (300,623) in 2012/13 but a peak of 382,649 in 2017/18 (with higher numbers in general in the year before and two years after) when the economy was in fine fettle.
Part of the problem is that criminals feel they are almost invulnerable to arrest since the police rarely turn up to shops
It should be said that the issue is not uniformly spreading around the country. Again, Statista cites ONS data to show that during 2022/23 the average number of shoplifting offences per 1000 population in England and Wales was 5.7. However, by police area, Cleveland saw 13, Nottinghamshire 10.9, Humberside 8.9, and West Yorkshire 8.2.
At the other end of the spectrum, with the lowest rates, was Surrey with 3.3, Devon and Cornwall with 3.4 and Dyfed-Powys with 3.5.
How to tackle it?
At the start of October, Chris Philp, MP for Croydon South, and minister for policing, during a fringe event at the Conservative Party conference, called on retailers to use security guards to halt shoplifters. During the same meeting, he suggested that members of the public, shop staff, and security guards have the power to carry out a citizen’s arrest – “where it’s safe to do so.”
The comments were met with consternation. Union USDAW said that the “minister is deeply irresponsible to suggest that ‘citizen’s arrests’ are the answer to the shoplifting epidemic.”
And Triton Security, a firm which helps safeguard retailers, said it has witnessed a concerning trend of increased violence and aggression from shoplifters when confronted, making such actions potentially dangerous. It, too expressed concerns over Philps’ call.
Part of the problem is that criminals feel they are almost invulnerable to arrest since the police rarely turn up to shops where shoplifting is alleged. It doesn’t help that police chiefs have effectively decriminalised shoplifting because of the £200 rule – a value below which officers are not sent.
But while, as the Daily Telegraph reported, ministers want police to attend and investigate every shoplifting allegation, they are resisting such demands because “it is not realistic” for them to do so.
So, what can retailers do?
According to police.uk, there are six key steps to securing a shop and its contents.
The first is to meet and greet customers as it shows that staff are paying attention to those that enter. Second comes crime mapping, where data is captured on what is stolen and from where, with security in those areas improved. Next is the electronic tagging of often stolen or valuable items. Fourth is keeping a tidy shop with clear lines of visibility. And last is having enough staff to deter the casual thief.
Ultimately, though, it’s going to be a combination of vigilance, proactivity and luck that will protect today’s retailer.