Shoplifting offences in England and Wales fell 4 per cent in the year to March 2026, following a period of increases, according to new Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures, although retail leaders cautioned that crime remains at unacceptably high levels and continues to be significantly underreported.
Police recorded 507,086 shoplifting offences during the year, down 4 per cent from 530,324 the previous year. The ONS said recent rises in shoplifting had likely reflected both an increase in offending and improved reporting as police encouraged retailers to report all incidents and submit evidence such as CCTV footage.
The statistics also note that a clarification to Home Office counting rules introduced in April 2025 is likely to have had a small effect in reducing recorded shoplifting offences by requiring incidents involving violence or threat of violence against a shop worker, or security guard, or any other person during a theft at a retail premises to be recorded as robbery of business property instead.
Reacting to the figures, Hemanshu Patel, national president of the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed), said the data offered “cautious optimism” but stressed that retail crime remained a major concern for independent shopkeepers.
“The Fed has consistently highlighted our members' concerns about the high levels of retail crime and theft affecting independent retailers across the country – today's figures suggest the situation may be beginning to stabilise, but the problem remains far too serious,” Patel said.
“While there are encouraging signs that retail crime may be levelling off, overall levels remain far too high and significant underreporting means the true scale of the problem is still not fully understood.”
Patel also welcomed the government's recent announcement that neighbourhood policing numbers have increased by 22.2 per cent since March 2025, describing it as “a positive step”, but said much more was needed before independent retailers felt adequately protected.
The ONS figures also showed overall police-recorded theft offences fell 8 per cent to 1.6 million in the year to March 2026, while burglary dropped 9 per cent, vehicle offences fell 11 per cent and theft from the person declined 20 per cent.