Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has declared that “the tide could be turning” against shoplifting as he outlined the government’s efforts to tackle retail crime. Speaking at the Usdaw shopworkers’ union conference, he emphasised that shop thefts had fallen slightly in the latest figures and called for wider use of technology enabling immediate sharing of CCTV footage with police.
Government crackdown on retail crime
Sir Keir stated that the government had ended what he termed the “shoplifters’ charter” for goods under £200, a rule he said left such thefts “not properly investigated.” He highlighted the deployment of an additional 3,000 neighbourhood police officers and the creation of a specific crime for assaulting retail workers, granting them protections similar to emergency workers.
“It’s disgraceful that people just working in their shop have to take abuse from customers,” he said. “It’s disgraceful that people feel sick to the stomach thinking about how they’re going to get through the day, and it’s disgraceful that people can have their lives and livelihoods ruined by persistent shop theft.”
Statistics and challenges
Latest Office for National Statistics data shows shoplifting offences fell from 516,611 in 2024 to 509,566 in 2025 – a slight decrease. However, the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) warned of a high street crime epidemic, revealing that 67% of shoplifting offenders reoffend within 12 months, up from 55% pre-pandemic. The average number of offences per convicted thief has nearly doubled from 5.5 to 9.1 in five years.
Sir Iain Duncan Smith, CSJ chairman, said: “Communities across Britain are suffering from a high street crime wave. Set against years of economic difficulties, there is a risk that some of our town and city centres are left permanently hollowed out.”
Legislative progress
A standalone offence for assaulting a retail worker is included in the Crime and Policing Bill currently before Parliament, though both Houses are negotiating the final draft as the session ends. The small drop in shoplifting may partly reflect a change in recording: since April last year, offences involving theft with violence or threats are classified as robbery of business, which surged 78% to 26,158 in 2025.
Usdaw general secretary Joanne Thomas welcomed the legislation as “much-needed protection of retail workers’ law.” She noted that two-thirds of attacks on retail staff are triggered by theft or armed robbery, and dealing with persistent offences causes anxiety, fear, and physical harm to workers.
