Overview

• Shoplifting offences in England and Wales have risen by 32% in a year to a record 1,300 a day, with only one in seven being solved.
• Retailers claim that shoplifting adds 6p to every store transaction due to the cost of £1 billion stolen each year and an extra £700 million spent on security measures.
• The surge in shoplifting has been attributed to the cost of living crisis and changes in law enforcement practices.
• Police forces have stopped attending reports of routine shop theft unless there has been a threat of violence against a staff member.
• The government has unveiled an action plan to tackle shoplifting, which includes using facial recognition technology to identify suspects from CCTV footage.