The Crime Survey for England and Wales has revealed that there were over 313,000 incidents of shop theft in 2012-2013.
The figures, released this week by the Office of National Statistics show that in the 12 months to September 2013, there was a 4% increase in the level of shop theft. The number of incidents is the highest since 2008, despite the overall levels of crime in the survey falling by 15% over the last year.
ACS’ own research has shown that around 80% of convenience stores are affected by shop theft at a cost of £44m per year.
ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said: “These figures show that shop theft is a serious and damaging crime for store owners. We must ensure that shop theft is not seen as a victimless crime and we urge Government to ensure that offenders are punished with the full force of the law.”
In February this year, ACS launched its first ever Crime Report, featuring a detailed account of the costs of crime against convenience stores. The Report also contains comprehensive guidance for convenience store owners on how to avoid crime and train staff to deal with incidents.
