Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Retail sector at 'highest risk of crime' amid cost-of-living crisis

Retail sector at 'highest risk of crime' amid cost-of-living crisis
iStock image
Getty Images

The retail sector continues to have the highest prevalence of victimisation, with 41 per cent of business premises experiencing crime in 2023, according to Home Office data released today (9).

The data shows over a quarter (26 per cent) of premises in the wholesale and retail sector experienced customer theft during the previous 12 months, with customer theft overall showing a longer-term upward trend. Separate figures from the ONS found shoplifting offences reached their highest level in 20 years in 2023, at 430,104, up 37 per cent on the previous year (315,040), and up 20 per cent on pre-pandemic levels (359,258).


Jacqui Baker, head of retail at RSM UK and chair of ICAEW’s Retail Group, comments, “Crime has become increasingly prevalent in the retail sector over the years and sadly the issue isn’t going away, as the ongoing cost of living pressures mean the incentives for criminals are higher than ever before.

“Arguably, the industry has always been susceptible to crime, but criminals are becoming savvier with their techniques and looking for new ways to spot weaknesses among retailers in store and online.

"Leveraging social media to organise retail crime or fraudulently claiming products haven’t been delivered are examples of how criminals continue to adapt and tap into consumer behaviour to become more sophisticated.

"However, while incidents of theft are often carried out by external parties, some are also committed by employees themselves, meaning retailers need to be extremely vigilant.

“The government’s recent crackdown on retail crime, making the assault of a retail worker a standalone crime, is a major turning point for the industry. Retailers will feel like they’ve been heard, but the hard work doesn’t stop there. The onus is now on them to ensure they are reporting any incidents, so it stays at the top of the agenda.

“The use of data will be invaluable in helping to detect fraud and theft, for example the use of facial recognition technology and the tracking of inventory levels. By harnessing the power of data effectively, this will go a long way in minimising losses and improving overall operational efficiency.”

More for you

A woman enters the Selfridges department store

A woman enters the Selfridges department store on December 13, 2024 in London, England

Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images

Retail faces mixed fortunes in 2025 amid cost pressures, AI opportunities, and high street revival


The UK retail sector is bracing for a challenging but opportunity-filled 2025, according to Jacqui Baker, head of retail at RSM UK. While the industry grapples with rising costs and heightened crime, advancements in artificial intelligence and a revival of the high street offer potential pathways to growth, she said.

Keep ReadingShow less
unsafe soft drinks seized in Southend

Unsafe soft drinks seized in Southend

Photo: Southend-on-Sea City Council

1,100 unsafe soft drinks seized in Southend safety crackdown

Southend-on-Sea City Council officials have secured food condemnation orders from Chelmsford Magistrates Court, resulting in the seizure and destruction of 1,100 unauthorised soft drinks.

The condemned drinks, including Mountain Dew, 7-UP, Mirinda, and G Fuel energy drinks, were found during routine inspections of food businesses across Southend by the council’s environmental health officers.

Keep ReadingShow less
Charity Super.Mkt at Brent Cross Shopping centre in north London

A customer browses clothes inside Charity Super.Mkt at Brent Cross Shopping centre in north London on, December 17, 2024

Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images

Brits kindle Christmas spirit with second-hand gifts

Bursting with customers one afternoon the week before Christmas, a second-hand charity shop in London's Marylebone High Street looked even busier than the upscale retailers surrounding it.

One man grabbed two puzzle sets and a giant plush toy as a present for friends, another picked out a notebook for his wife.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nothing is more important than your Mental Elf

Nothing is more important than your Mental Elf

Lancashire Mind’s 11th Mental Elf fun run was its biggest and best yet – a sell-out event with more than 400 people running and walking in aid of the mental charity, plus dozens more volunteering to make the day a huge success.

The winter sun shone on Worden Park in Leyland as families gathered for either a 5K course, a 2K run, or a Challenge Yours’Elf distance which saw many people running 10K with the usual running gear replaced with jazzy elf leggings, tinsel and Christmas hats.

Keep ReadingShow less
A woman walks past a window display promoting an ongoing sale

A woman walks past a window display promoting an ongoing sale, on December 13, 2024 in London, England.

Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images

Retail sales disappoint before Christmas

UK retail sales rose less than expected in the runup to Christmas, according to official data Friday that deals a fresh blow to government hopes of growing the economy.

Separate figures revealed a temporary reprieve for prime minister Keir Starmer, however, as public borrowing fell sharply in November.

Keep ReadingShow less