The Association of Convenience Stores has responded to new national figures on crime from the Office for National Statistics, which have shown that thieves are increasingly threatening violence against retailers and shopworkers.
The latest Crime Survey for England and Wales, released today (22 October) shows a 2% fall in the number of shop thefts recorded by the police in the year to June 2026. However, this comes alongside a 10% increase in the number of robberies recorded.
The reason for the marked increase in robberies is likely due to a change in the way that some offences are now recorded as robberies that previously would have been counted as shoplifting offences:
From the ONS’ notes on the release: ‘If an offender enters a retail premises, steals, and either uses or threatens violence against a shop worker, or security guard, or any other person at the time, or uses or threatens violence to escape, then an offence of robbery of business property should be recorded. This clarification is likely to also have had a small effect on reducing the number of shoplifting offences.’
ACS has welcomed the change in recording as it means that offences of this nature will be treated more seriously by forces and face tougher penalties as a result, but has urged caution over claims that theft is falling overall.
ACS chief executive Ed Woodall said: “We are extremely concerned about the changing nature of theft against retailers. Offenders are becoming more confident, more brazen, and ultimately more violent in their crimes, threatening retailers and shopworkers to get away with stolen goods.
"The Crime and Policing Act marked a big step forward in ensuring that the police treat shop theft more seriously, but many of the key measures from the Act such as the scrapping of the £200 threshold for investigating thefts, and the separate offence for attacking a shopworker are still not in place. The Government must act as soon as possible to show that it backs the hardworking people running and working in our nation’s local shops.”
Headline figures from the ONS release include:
- There has been a 2% decrease in the number of shoplifting offences to 519,516, compared to the previous year which recorded 530,336 offences.
- There has been a 10% increase in the overall number of robbery offences recorded to 88,282
- Offences involving knives or sharp instruments fell by 6% to 48,615 offences
- Offences involving firearms decreased by 8% to 5,065 offences
