Retail crime epidemic: Robbery from business properties surges by 52%

Only 4.5% of robbery cases recorded by the police resulted in a suspect being charged in the year to June

Robbery incidents in England and Wales have risen sharply, with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reporting 81,931 cases in the year to June 2024—a six per cent increase from 77,106 the previous year.

Criminals are increasingly targeting businesses, as The Times’ analysis of ONS data reveals a 52 per cent surge in robberies at business properties.

Recorded cases rose to 12,000 in the year to June 2024 from 7,884 in the previous 12 months—the highest figure on record. This equates to 33 robberies a day.

In contrast, personal property robberies saw only a marginal one per cent increase, from 69,222 to 69,931 cases.

The ONS data also highlights a worrying trend: knife-related robberies now account for 28 per cent of all incidents (21,759 cases).

Additionally, shoplifting has surged to an all-time high, with 469,788 incidents recorded in the year to June—marking a 29 per cent rise compared to the previous year (365,173) and a staggering 106 per cent increase since March 2021.

Alarmingly, fewer than one in ten cases resulted in charges, while nearly half were closed without identifying a suspect, The Times reported.

Citing Ministry of Justice figures, the publication reveals that only 4.5 percent of robbery cases recorded by the police resulted in a suspect being charged in the year to June.

Retail workers face growing threats

An investigation by Usdaw, the shop workers union, has shed light on the increasing number of violent attacks on retail staff.

According to interim results from its 2024 survey of 4,073 shop workers:

• 69% of retail workers experienced verbal abuse.
• 45% faced threats.
• 17% reported being physically assaulted.

Shoplifting was identified as the trigger in 70 per cent of cases, with drug and alcohol addiction cited as underlying factors in 64 per cent.

The final results of the survey are expected to be published in March 2025.

Usdaw General Secretary Paddy Lillis pointed out that the lack of action from the previous government has resulted in “an epidemic of retail crime.”

He said: “After 14 years of neglect and repeated refusals to deal with the issue from the last Conservative government, we are pleased to see that Labour is making this a priority and delivering the measures our members and all retail workers desperately need.”

Government pledges to tackle retail crime

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has committed to enhancing street safety through the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee. Backed by a £100 million investment, the initiative aims to deploy 13,000 additional neighbourhood police officers to patrol the streets.

The Labour government’s plans to address retail crime include:

• Introducing a standalone offence for assaulting shop workers.
• Scrapping the 2014 rule that downgraded thefts under £200 to a summary-only offence, which has been blamed for reduced prosecutions.

The forthcoming Crime and Policing Bill, expected to be introduced to parliament in the spring, will ensure that shoplifting offences are treated more seriously by the police.

Dame Diana Johnson, the policing minister, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to safer communities, stating: “We’ll tackle retail crime and assault of shop workers and scrap the Tory shoplifters’ charter.”

“This is a government committed to our mission for safer streets, for safer communities, and for a safer Britain, and we have a plan to get there.”

England and Wales recorded a total of 5,366,753 crimes in the year to June 2024, down from 5,563,646 the previous year.