Police Scotland has launched an enhanced online system for reporting shoplifting incidents, a move welcomed by retailers amid escalating crime levels across Scotland’s convenience sector.
The new digital reporting system, which went live nationwide on Monday (March 23) following a pilot phase launched in December, is designed to streamline how retailers log offences and share evidence with police.
During the pilot, Police Scotland said the time taken to generate a crime report number dropped significantly, from the standard 72-hour window to frequently being processed on the same day. Once a report is created, retailers are also given access to the force’s Digital Evidence Sharing Capability (DESC) system, enabling them to upload CCTV footage immediately and accelerate investigations.
Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs said the system forms part of wider efforts to modernise how retail crime is reported and handled.
“The development of the online reporting form supports the ongoing work to introduce a third-party reporting platform that can provide a consistent approach to reporting certain retail offences whenever they arise within Scotland,” he said. “We will continue to develop the form further to ensure it meets all needs of our retail industry colleagues when reporting a theft by shoplifting offence.”
The Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) welcomed the initiative, describing it as a step in the right direction for shopkeepers who have long called for more effective responses to theft.
The Fed’s Scottish president Hussan Lal said: “We have lobbied long and hard for better protection for retailers when it comes to shoplifting.
“While an improved reporting system is of obvious benefit to retailers, The Fed will continue to call for the Scottish government to back small independent retailers like our members through action to reduce retail crime, such as through targeted security grants.”
The launch comes against a backdrop of worsening retail crime across Scotland, with new figures from the Scottish Grocers' Federation (SGF) highlighting the scale of the challenge facing convenience stores.
According to the SGF Crime Report & Safer Business Guide 2025/26, more than three quarters of stores (77.8%) now have at least one staff member experiencing mental health or wellbeing issues as a direct result of retail crime. Meanwhile, 78.3% of retailers report a rise in violence towards shop workers.
Shop theft alone is placing a heavy financial burden on the sector. The average annual cost per store is estimated at £10,431, based on responses from 732 retailers. When extrapolated across Scotland’s 5,228 convenience stores, this equates to an overall annual loss of approximately £54.5 million.
The report also found that 54.8 per cent of retailers believe shoplifting has increased over the past year, with virtually all respondents (99.6%) stating it is now a daily occurrence.