A shocking 83% of independent retailers say theft has worsened over the past year, whilst the vast majority of crimes now go unreported due to lack of police response, according to the British Independent Retailers’ Association’s (BIRA) latest retail crime survey.
The findings reveal a retail crime crisis that is intensifying and becoming increasingly violent, with criminals operating almost unchallenged as retailers lose faith in the justice system.
Physical abuse incidents have nearly doubled to 7.04%, up from 3.7% six months ago, whilst 88% of retailers report thieves are becoming significantly more brazen in how they steal. Break-ins have surged from 4.92% to 12.20% of theft incidents, and 68.5% of retailers believe they are being targeted by repeat offenders.
Some 85% of verbal abuse incidents now go unreported, 91% of physical abuse incidents go unreported and 47% of thefts are not reported to police.
Yet despite this escalating threat, reporting has collapsed. Some 85% of verbal abuse incidents now go unreported (up from 79%), 91% of physical abuse incidents go unreported, and 47% of thefts are not reported to police. When incidents are reported, only 16.7% lead to prosecution.
Retailers describe increasingly violent confrontations. One reported: “Youth held member of staff by neck,” whilst another experienced: “Aggravated robbery / assault with a foam fire extinguisher – sprayed on us while they stole bikes.”
Others described the relentless nature of repeat offending: “We get weekly, sometimes daily thefts. Often by the same people,” whilst another said: “Just whilst I’m writing this I’ve had to break off to tackle 3 different shop lifting incidents. In the last month or two I suspect I’ve had maybe £10,000 of goods lifted at least. It’s out of hand and makes me wonder whether to continue in this business.”
One retailer summed up the changing nature of theft: “It used to be that specific items would be stolen to order but now it’s anything that can be sold on.”
The frustration with police response is evident throughout the survey. “Reporting is a waste of our time,” said one retailer, whilst another noted: “What’s the point. The police don’t want to or have other more urgent priorities.”
Several described how the reporting process itself has become a barrier: “It takes 20 minutes to talk to the operator, unless it is 999, the value per incident is less than the staff costs than reporting.”
Andrew Goodacre, CEO of Bira, said:
These figures should alarm everyone. When 83% of retailers say retail theft has got worse, when physical assaults have doubled, and when nine out of ten incidents of violence against shop workers go unreported because retailers believe nothing will be done – we have a serious problem on our high streets.
The February 2025 Crime and Policing Bill promised stricter penalties and protection for shop workers, yet our members see no difference whatsoever. The Prime Minister announced increased police presence on high streets, but where is it? Repeat offenders – who account for nearly 70% of thefts – continue to operate, seemingly with impunity.
Independent retailers face daily abuse, violence and theft, yet they’ve stopped even reporting it because they know the police won’t come. This demands urgent government action. We support the drive for neighbourhood policing, but we need it now. We support greater use of community behaviour orders and potentially tagging repeat offenders. We also support rehabilitation.”
