Today (16 October 2025), the House of Lords will hold the second reading of the Crime and Policing Bill, which includes vital measures to address retail crime.
ACS (Association of Convenience Stores) welcomes the progress of the Bill, particularly measures dedicated to safeguarding shopworkers and tackling shop theft.
Ahead of the second reading in the Lords, ACS is calling on peers to back key provisions in the Bill, including:
- A standalone offence for assaults on retail workers (Clause 37), recognising the risks faced by shopworkers and ensuring violent offenders are held accountable.
- A duty to consider Criminal Behaviour Orders (Clause 38) for offenders, helping prevent repeat crimes and supporting rehabilitation.
- Removal of the £200 threshold for shop theft (Clause 39), encouraging more reporting and improving police response to all incidents, regardless of value.
Retail crime continues to have a devastating impact on the sector, with the ACS 2025 Crime Report showing that over the last year alone there have been over 6.2 million incidents of shop theft, over ten times the amount recorded by police forces. Over the last two years, the cost of crime and the convenience sector’s investment in crime prevention adds up to over half a billion pounds.
ACS is urging further action beyond the Bill, including increased police resources, improved online reporting systems, maintaining PCC engagement, and support for crime prevention investment.
The second reading is a critical opportunity to ensure that retail crime is taken seriously and that those working in local shops are better protected.
ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “The introduction of the Crime and Policing Bill to the House of Lords marks a vital step forward in protecting the people who work in and rely on local shops. Retail crime is not a victimless offence it causes real harm to retailers, store colleagues and communities.
We strongly support the Bill’s measures to create a standalone offence for attacks on shopworkers and to remove the £200 threshold that has reinforced the perception that shop theft will not be investigated by the police. These changes reflect the urgent need to tackle prolific offenders who blight our high streets. We urge peers to back this legislation and ensure that every incident of retail crime is taken seriously.”
More information about the Crime and Policing Bill is available here: https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3938
