Shoplifting falls for first time in years - but retailers warn levels still too high

Shoplifting offences in England and Wales have fallen for the first time in years, new ONS figures show, but a leading independent retailers association is warning that half a million offences a year is still far too high.

The figures, published by the ONS for the year ending December 2025, show shoplifting dropped to 509,566 offences from 516,611 the previous year.

The charge rate for shop theft rose from 18 per cent to 22 per cent, and the overall volume of charges increased by 17 per cent, pointing to greater enforcement activity by police.

The British Independent Retailers Association, which works with over 6,000 independent retailers across the UK, said the direction of travel was encouraging but that complacency would be a mistake.

Andrew Goodacre (pictured), CEO of Bira, said: "We need to recognise that real progress has been made over the past 12 months.

“There has been a better response from police, more arrests, more community officers on the ground, and a much sharper focus on retail crime.

“That matters, and it should be acknowledged. However, the level of crime remains high and unacceptable.

“Half a million shoplifting offences in a single year is not a figure any of us should be satisfied with.

“We have to maintain focus and momentum, and we would urge every retailer to remain vigilant and to report every single incident. That reporting culture is what drives the data, and the data is what drives the political will to act."

The new figures also show broader falls across crime more widely, with overall theft incidents down 11 per cent, burglary down 12 per cent, robbery of personal property falling by 12 per cent, and vehicle-related offences down 13 per cent.

Knife-enabled offences fell by 10 per cent and homicides reached their lowest level since 1977.

Bira said it would be continuing to campaign for stronger protections for retail workers and independent shopkeepers, including support for measures that remove the effective threshold below which theft has historically been treated as a low priority by some forces.