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Shoplifting offences increased by 5% to 519,381 incidents in the year ending September 2025, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The rise occurred while other forms of theft and serious violence saw significant recorded decreases across England and Wales.
The increase in retail crime contrasts with a 6% fall in total police recorded theft. Residential burglary fell by 20% to 342,000 incidents, and vehicle-related theft dropped by 16% to 617,000 incidents according to the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW).
While shoplifting rose, other high-harm offences decreased. Homicides fell by 7% to 499 offences – the lowest figure since 2003 – while offences involving knives or sharp instruments decreased by 9% to 50,430 recorded crimes.
Computer misuse incidents fell by 21% to 686,000, driven by a 20% drop in unauthorised access to personal information. However, bank and credit account fraud rose by 19% to 2.6 million incidents during the same period.
Robbery of business property saw a 66% increase to 22,478 offences. This was offset by a 12% decrease in robbery of personal property. Overall, the CSEW headline crime figure remained stable at approximately 9.3 million incidents.
Official statistics showed that 38% of people experienced or witnessed anti-social behaviour in the last year. This represents a statistically significant increase from the 36% reported in the previous 12-month period.
An Office for National Statistics spokesperson said: “Shoplifting offences increased by 5% compared with the previous year. However, these figures are no longer the highest since current police recording practices began and are lower than the previous year ending period to June 2025.”
Responding to ONS data, Lucy Whing, crime policy adviser at the BRC, said: “Retail theft is a serious issue for retailers across the country. While the causes are manifold, the rise in organised crime is particularly concerning, with gangs systematically targeting one store after another. Theft is also one of the main triggers for violence and abuse against retail workers. Government, police and retailers are committed to working together to turn the tide on crime.
“We will soon see the implementation of the Crime and Policing Bill, which will remove the £200 threshold for ‘low level’ theft, sending a clear signal that shoplifting will not be tolerated. It will also introduce a standalone offence for assaulting a retail worker, strengthening sentencing and improving the visibility of violence against retail workers so that police can allocate the necessary resources to tackle this challenge and protect our high streets and colleagues.”
