British Retail Consortium publishes 2026 Retail Crime Report

The 22-page document, which is sponsored by Sensormatic Solutions, suggests this improvement reflects years of heavy investment by retailers, an improved police response – with 13% of retailers rating the police response as good, or excellent, which is up from 9% in last year’s report – and closer collaboration between retailers, the police and the Government.

Across the last five years, retailers have spent upwards of £5 billion on improved security measures, from surveillance and trained security personnel through to improved data collection. That investment is starting to pay off.

While welcome progress is being made, levels of retail crime remain unacceptably high. At 1,600 per day, incidents of violence and abuse are the second highest on record and far beyond the 455 incidents per day recorded in the pre-pandemic period (2019-2020). Of particular concern is that, at 118 per day, incidents involving physical violence have remained largely unchanged from last year. On average, there were 36 incidents per day involving a weapon.

Theft also remains a “significant challenge” for retailers. There were 5.5 million detected incidents of shoplifting last year, costing retailers nearly £400 million, but with many incidents going undetected, the true cost is likely to be much higher than this figure.

Organised criminal gangs are increasingly targeting high-value and easily resold goods, duly exploiting the “lack of consequences” from law enforcement. For the first time, the BRC’s report also looks at the issue of delivery parcel theft, which cost retailers more than £100 million last year.

Crime and Policing Bill 

The Government has previously announced measures aimed at tackling retail crime. The Crime and Policing Bill will soon pass into law. Retailers hope it will play a vital role in granting additional legal protections for workers and bring down levels of theft.

The Bill will introduce a standalone offence for assaulting a retail worker, which will increase sentencing and provide a stronger deterrent as well as improve the visibility of violence against retail workers such that the police can allocate necessary resources. It will also remove the £200 threshold for ‘low-level’ theft, which is then going to send a strong message to offenders that all theft will not be tolerated.

The Crime and Policing Bill should apply to all individuals working in customer-facing roles, as is the case in Scotland. The BRC is calling on the Government to ensure that the final Crime and Policing Act ensures the extension of protections to delivery drivers.

Job “far from done” 

Helen Dickinson OBE, CEO of the BRC, said: “The drop in violence and abuse has been hard won, but the job is far from done as the number of incidents remains almost four times pre-pandemic levels. Violence remains endemic. No-one should go to work fearing for their safety. We must redouble our efforts to bring these numbers much further down once and for all.”  

Dickinson continued: “Theft remains a huge issue, with an increasingly concerning link to organised criminal gangs who continue to systematically target one store after another, stealing tens of thousands of pounds’ worth of goods in one go.” 

Further, Dickinson noted: “Retailers, the police and Government must continue to work together, building on the great work done so far, duly focusing on consistent enforcement, better data and intelligence sharing and targeted action against prolific offenders and organised gangs.”

In conclusion, Dickinson commented: “The £7 million investment announced in the policing reform White Paper is another welcome signal of Government’s commitment to tackling organised retail crime. However, turning this into real impact requires sustained prioritisation and dedicated resourcing from the police. For the sake of the three million people working so diligently in the retail sector, this work must not stop.”

Not a victimless crime

Joanne Thomas, general secretary of Usdaw, explained: “The drop in violence and abuse is welcome news, but both Usdaw and BRC data suggest that retail workers continue to face unacceptable levels of violence and abuse simply as a result of going to work. The 5.5 million incidents of shop theft are in no way a victimless crime, with Usdaw’s evidence showing that two-thirds of attacks on retail staff are triggered by theft or armed robbery.”

Thomas informed Security Matters: “Having to deal with repeated and persistent offences can cause issues beyond the theft itself, like anxiety, fear and physical harm to retail workers. Along with many retail sector employers, we’ve campaigned for substantial legislative measures to combat this growing problem and we’re pleased that the Government has introduced the Crime and Policing Bill, which includes a much-needed protection of retail workers’ law. This Parliamentary Bill sends a clear message that the era of criminals acting with impunity is over.”

Chris Brook-Carter, CEO of the Retail Trust, observed: “We hear from people every day who are so stressed and anxious that they’re afraid to go into work and are thinking of leaving their jobs. While any fall in violence and abuse is welcome, there are clearly still far too many retail workers being shouted at, threatened and attacked.”  

In addition, Brook-Carter stated: “We must turn hard-won progress into long-lasting and positive change. The Government and the police are treating this problem more seriously than ever before and more retailers are also working with the Retail Trust to protect their people and support anyone affected by abuse. The entire retail industry now needs to step up and support these efforts if we’re to stand any chance of restoring respect to our High Streets once and for all.”

Tackling retail crime

Sean Lee, regional vice-president and general manager (EMEA) at Sensormatic Solutions, said: “The reduction in levels of violence and abuse are a clear signal that co-ordinated efforts across technology, strategy and collaboration are starting to make a difference.”

On that note, Lee commented: “Technology is one of the most important tools we have at our disposal for tackling retail crime. The increased investment in this area looks to be paying off. Retailers are redesigning their loss prevention strategies, duly integrating connected technologies such as enhanced electronic article surveillance, video analytics, intelligent store monitoring platforms and advanced reporting. The foundations for a more resilient retail environment are now firmly in place.”

In addition, Lee said: “More must be done to protect our retail staff. By working together, and with the support of intelligent technology, we can continue to build safer stores and a stronger future for retail.”

John Unsworth, director for crime and intelligence at Mitie, told Security Matters: “The BRC’s report is clear that real progress in tackling retail crime happens when industry, law enforcement and Government work together, not in silos.”

For its part, Mitie is already supporting policing efforts with insights generated through advanced monitoring and analytics technologies, and by strengthening collaboration between forces and retailers through initiatives such as Pegasus.

Since its launch in 2024, the Pegasus partnership has identified 395 offenders responsible for £9 million in retail losses. These joint efforts are making a meaningful difference to the safety of retail workers and helping to turn the tide on organised retail crime.”

“There’s more work to do,” affirmed Unsworth. “To lock in this momentum for the long-term, continued investment in intelligence‑led technology and data‑sharing, alongside harnessing specialist private sector support, will be essential. The ‘Tackling Retail Crime Together’ strategy provides a clear framework for a more unified response. It’s vital that all partners now support it in order to deliver sustained and positive impact. By working together, we can create safer communities for everyone.”

*Further information is available online at www.brc.org.uk