Independent retailers question whether falling shop theft figures tell the full story

(Pictured: The Fed’s National President, Hemanshu Patel).

The Fed has questioned whether the latest government figures accurately reflect the true scale of shop theft, warning that recorded offences do not tell the full story of the crime experienced by independent retailers.

The latest figures issued by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that recorded shop theft fell by 2% in the year ending June 2026, with 519,516 offences compared with 530,336 the previous year.

National President Hemanshu Patel said: “While the figures show a fall in recorded shop theft, we need to understand whether this reflects a genuine reduction in crime or whether it also reflects the difficulties retailers face when reporting incidents and the lack of confidence some have in the process.

“More than half a million recorded offences in a single year remains a serious concern. Behind these figures are independent retailers dealing with repeated theft, intimidation and the financial and emotional impact of crime. The wider impact on staff, customers and local communities must not be overlooked.”

In a statement issued by the Home Office, policing minister Sarah Jones said: “Police are taking this crime seriously, and with more officers patrolling town centres and responding to these incidents we can have a real impact.

“Shop theft charge rates rose from 19% to 24%. This is still too low, and we want to see this figure continue to climb. We will continue this trend by pushing ahead with plans to strengthen local policing.”

Mr Patel added: “We welcome the minister’s recognition that shop theft charge rates remain too low. However, retailers need to see meaningful action on the ground, not simply changes in the statistics.

“Reporting crime must be straightforward, police responses must be appropriate and offenders must understand there are consequences for their actions. Retailers should not have to navigate unnecessary red tape only to feel that little is being done.

“We also want the Government to consider a dedicated retail crime grant scheme to help independent retailers improve security and protect their businesses.

“Recorded figures are only part of the picture. Independent retailers deserve to feel safe, supported and properly protected.”