Resurgence of shoplifting feared after 30% decline in locked down 2020   

Shoplifting incidents have declined in 2020 by 30 per cent compared to the same period in 2019, according to the 2020 UK Police and Crime data, with lockdowns and the closure of non-essential retail leading to the first reduction in theft since 2018.

However, retailers have warned that shoplifters will hit the profits of stores across the country, as the big reopening continues and thieves continue to be let off.

An analysis by Checkpoint Systems, a leader in the Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) market, has revealed a clear correlation between store closures and a reduction in shoplifting incidents. While these declines can be seen during the periods of mass closure across the UK, shoplifting rose by 27 per cent in July 2020 following store reopening in the previous month.

This trend continued through to November when the closure of non-essential retail saw a UK-wide decline of 12 per cent.

The Metropolitan Police Service continued to respond to the most incidents of shoplifting compared to other police forces around the country – 34,588 – but the number has fallen for the third consecutive year, from 47,460 in 2017. Meanwhile, Cleveland Police Service saw the biggest drop, with 49.8 per cent fewer reported thefts.

Alarmingly, of the 243,993 reported incidents in 2020, the number of those prosecuted remained low. In fact, in more than half of all cases (54%), no suspect could be identified or prosecuted.

“The latest police data is a stark warning for retailers, as shoplifters return to the high street,” commented Mike French, business unit director at Checkpoint Systems UK.

“The past 12 months have been undeniably difficult for so many, putting even greater pressure on stores to protect their bottom lines. With this insight, it is clear that as stores open and shoplifters return, retailers would benefit from reviewing their loss prevention strategies, to discover how to best protect their stores and return on investment.”

“As a business with more than 50 years experience in the retail sector, we pride ourselves on being forward-looking and identifying innovative ways to support our retail customers. Now, more than ever, retailers need to understand how best to protect their stores; to deter and detect shoplifters and ensure a profitable and resilient future.”

Checkpoint Systems offers innovative state-of-the-art anti-theft and security solutions, including a world-class range of EAS options, with exceptional detection performance, ease of installation and integrated wireless connectivity (NEO).