Overview

• Police recorded 516,971 shoplifting offences in 2024, a 20% increase from the previous year and the highest figure since records began in 2003.
• Snatch thefts of mobile phones and bags rose by 70% to 99,000 incidents, marking the highest level in two decades.
• Only 19% of shoplifting cases resulted in charges or summons, while 57% concluded with no suspect identified, highlighting enforcement challenges.
• The British Retail Consortium estimates over 20 million shoplifting incidents annually, attributing the rise partly to organised crime and economic pressures.
• The Labour government has pledged to add 3,000 neighbourhood officers and introduce new measures to combat retail theft and violence.