A leading trade association has said the latest Office for National Statistics figures showing a 13% increase in shoplifting offences to 529,994 incidents confirm the retail crime crisis that independent retailers across Britain have been experiencing daily.

The ONS figures, released by the Home Office, align with the British Independent Retailers Association's (Bira) own latest crime survey of independent retailers, which revealed that 83% say theft has worsened over the past year, with physical abuse incidents nearly doubling.

Whilst overall theft offences recorded by police have decreased by 4%, the sharp 13% rise in shoplifting - alongside a 5% increase in theft from the person to 145,860 offences - demonstrates that retail crime continues to surge. These sharp rises since the pandemic show no sign of abating.

However, Bira's own crime survey shows the vast majority of crimes now go unreported - 91% of physical abuse incidents and 47% of thefts - because retailers have lost faith in police response. When incidents are reported, only 16.7% lead to prosecution. This means that Bira believes the true scale of retail crime is far greater than even the official ONS figures suggest, with repeat offenders accounting for nearly 70% of incidents according to Bira members.

Andrew Goodacre, CEO of Bira, said: "We welcome the Government's commitment to 3,000 additional neighbourhood officers by March 2026 and the Crime and Policing Bill measures, including ending the £200 theft loophole and creating a new offence for assaulting retail workers. However, we urge swift implementation of the Government's Winter of Action - the renewed focus on tackling shop theft in town centres following the summer crime blitz - and call for consistent police response standards across all forces. We would also like to see greater use of community behaviour orders (CBOs) in order to deal with the perennial offenders. Independent retailers are the backbone of our high streets and need visible support now to protect their businesses, their staff, and their livelihoods."

Bira said it will continue to monitor crime figures through its bi-annual crime survey of independent retailers and will be presenting these findings to the Home Office, police forces, and policymakers across the UK, calling for sustained action to protect Britain's high streets.