Retail crime is continuing to escalate across Scotland, with devastating consequences for convenience retailers and their staff, reveals new figures published today (Feb 12), underlining the need for more action from government to expand the work of the recently renewed Retail Crime Taskforce.
According to SGF Crime Report & Safer Business Guide 2025/26 based on research gathered from convenience retailers nationwide, over three quarters of stores (77.8 per cent) now have at least one member of staff who has experienced mental health or wellbeing issues as a direct result of retail crime.
Meanwhile, almost four in five retailers (78.3 per cent) report an increase in violence towards shop workers.
The average cost of shop theft averages £10,431per store in 2025-26, based on responses from 732 stores participating in the SGF annual crime survey. When scaled to Scotland’s total 5,228 convenience stores, this equates to an estimated annual cost of £54.5 million, placing crippling pressure on the sector.
The report also highlights concerning figures on the prevalence of hate crime, with 80.6 per cent of retailers experiencing incidents at least once a month.
Further data published during the SGF annual Crime Seminar at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Edinburgh, reveals that:
- 54.8 per cent of convenience retailers believe shoplifting has increased over the past year, with 99.6 per cent stating it is now a daily occurrence.
- More than eight in ten stores report incidents of hate crime at least once a month, while almost all experience violence against staff on a monthly basis (80.6 per cent and 78.3 per cent respectively).
- Nearly all respondents (99.4 per cent) report weekly incidents of abuse when refusing a sale or requesting proof of age.
SGF Chief Executive, Dr Pete Cheema, OBE said, “For thousands of shop workers across Scotland, going to work now means putting their personal safety on the line. Assaults, stabbings, spitting, threats, and relentless abuse have become an all-too-common part of daily life on the shop floor.
"Our latest Crime Report, published today at the SGF Crime Seminar in Edinburgh, exposes the full and alarming scale of criminality facing the convenience sector.
“Retail crime is spiralling out of control. Every indicator is moving in the wrong direction, and the damage to workers, businesses and local communities is profound and accelerating. This is a public safety emergency hiding in plain sight.
“Retailers urgently need support. The police and courts are overwhelmed, and many crimes go unreported because retailers lack confidence that action will be taken. Offenders know they are unlikely to face consequences, and even when arrests are made, cases can take years to reach conviction.”