A video grab showing the moment an alleged shoplifter strikes (Image: Jam Press/Say Cheese Media)
Every single retailer in Britain has fallen victim to crime in the last year, a damning new Express investigation has found, as the high street descends into a state of unparalleled lawlessness. In a shocking indictment of the “shoplifting epidemic” gripping the nation, new analysis for our Stop The Shoplifters campaign has found that not a single one of the UK’s top 100 retailers escaped the onslaught of theft, abuse, or cyber-attacks over the past 12 months.
As a result hard-pressed British families are being warned they will pay a hefty “crime tax” bill for the criminal free-for-all as stores scramble to turn their premises into high-tech fortresses. Nearly half of retailers – 48% – have admitted they will be forced to hike prices to cover the soaring cost of security.
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The report conducted exclusively for the Express by national law firm TLT, paints a bleak picture of a retail sector under siege. With 100% of top firms affected, the crisis is no longer isolated to pockets of the country, they say it is nothing short of a nationwide emergency.
The breakdown of the figures proves chilling. An overwhelming 88% of businesses reported incidents of shoplifting, while 86% faced cybercrime. Following on from the British Retail Consortium’s annual crime survey which found that 1,600 daily incidents of violence ort threat of violence are taking place, our findings collaborate this worrying statistic. We found 86% of retailers reported verbal abuse against their staff whilst 81% cited actual physical attacks on shop floor workers.
Faced with this tidal wave of crime, the industry is fighting back with “Robocop” style tactics – but this is coming at the price of a “crime tax” that is being passed on to consumers.
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Retail Shoplifting. Man Stealing In Supermarket. Theft At Shop (Image: Getty Images)
The survey found that 63% of retailers have increased their security budgets, with 43% pouring cash into AI-driven analytics and biometric security systems as critical lines of defence. But with these necessary investments hitting consumers directly in the pocket, it further stalls any potential recovery of the high street.
However, the human toll is just as severe as the financial one. The report lays bare the fear stalking the aisles, noting that 44% of retailers are seeing increased employee turnover and 42% are struggling to recruit staff at all, as workers turn their backs on jobs they now deem too dangerous.
Perran Jervis, partner and head of retail and consumer goods at TLT, said: “The social and economic consequences of this issue cannot be underestimated.
Shoplifting is out of control (Image: PA)
“The report highlights how the industry is innovating to address these challenges, but many retailers do not have the capacity, financially or operationally, to tackle this alone so collaborative action and government support are essential to create a lasting solution to the problem.”
The grim findings come as the sector braces for a financial hammer blow. Despite promises of lower business rates from 2026/27, retailers are facing an estimated £7bn increase in annual costs following the October budget. Major chains have already written to Chancellor Rachel Reeves, warning that job cuts and higher prices are inevitable.
While the government’s Home Office Police Reforms in November 2024 acknowledged the issue, the report insists that urgent, practical solutions are needed now to save the high street from collapse.
But with every major store now a target, the report makes one thing clear: until the tide of crime is turned, it is the honest British shopper who will continue footing the bill.