Rise of shoplifting – how to protect your shop from thieves

The rise of shoplifting is impacting small business retailers on UK high streets and thieves show no sign of slowing down.

There were 516,971 shoplifting offences reported to police in 2024, according to official statistics for England and Wales – up 20 per cent from the previous year.  

Cost of living pressures and organised gangs have been blamed for the shoplifting epidemic.

While many bigger retailers are able to spend thousands on anti-crime measures  – from body cameras to security tagging – it’s a problem that affects shops of all sizes. And with rising costs continuing to plague the nation’s small businesses, you may be wondering how to prevent and report shoplifting on a tight budget. 

Keep reading for ideas on how to discourage shoplifters from targeting your small shop, and what the government is doing to help.

Stricter punishments for shoplifting? 

New laws proposed by the government could see a crackdown on shoplifting and harsher punishments for offenders. 

The Crime and Policing Bill set out plans to target antisocial behaviour, retail crime, and theft earlier this year. 

Sending the message that there are real consequences to stealing even small items from shops is just one way the government hopes to discourage criminals. 

If it becomes law, the bill will also provide greater protection to shop workers who have been a victim of assault. 

AI facial recognition 

Some shop owners are already implementing facial recognition technology to detect theft, although this has been met with resistance from some politicians and privacy campaigners. 

Cameras can analyse bags and detect items that haven’t been scanned. Here the BBC reports how (and why) some small businesses are turning to using controversial facial recognition cameras in their shops.

What can retailers do to prevent shoplifting?

Try these eight tips to improve security in your shop and prevent theft.

1. Know how to spot a shoplifter

One of the first things to prepare yourself and your employees for is how shoplifters are likely to behave. That way you’ll be able to spot them more easily and hopefully be able to stop them.

If someone is planning to shoplift from you, they may well display the following behaviours:

• attempting to avoid being noticed
• looking nervous, sweating, or becoming flushed
• picking up and putting back the same items repeatedly
• paying more attention to what’s around them than the product in their hand or on the shelves in front of them
• wearing large coats, even in hot weather, or carrying large bags

Of course, this behaviour doesn’t necessarily mean that someone is planning to steal from you, but they’re signs worth looking out for.

Not all shoplifters leave without spending money. Some might take a few products to the till to avoid looking suspicious, while attempting to steal smaller items at the same time. 

2. Implement shoplifting policies and procedures

Sometimes, even if they suspect someone of shoplifting, your employees may not know what to do about it.

Make sure you have a comprehensive shoplifting policy and risk assessment in place and that your employees are trained in how to implement it should they spot a shoplifter.

3. Use customer service to your advantage

Shoplifters will often get spooked if they know they’ve been spotted, so you can leverage good customer service to prevent theft.

Welcome people as soon as they come into your shop with a friendly ‘hello’. This lets them know that you’ve seen them and a thief will be more likely to leave.

A security guard or employee standing near the door to your shop can also be a deterrent for thieves. 

4. Crime mapping

The police recommend shop owners try ‘crime mapping’ to keep a record of any thefts.

This involves recording every detail, from the times and dates to the location in your shop, along with CCTV evidence. If you notice a particular area of your shop is regularly targeted by thieves then see if you can improve the layout or lighting to make it more visible to staff.

5. Optimise your layout

If you can change the layout of your shop, these techniques will make it harder for shoplifters to get away with your products:

• keep the shop tidy and uncluttered so it shows you’re vigilant and your view across the shop isn’t obstructed
• put your till nearer the door so customers have to pass you when leaving – and make sure never to leave it unlocked
• keep blind spots to a minimum, either by moving displays around or installing brighter lighting and convex mirrors
• consider installing lower displays so you can see customers over the top of them

6. Identify at-risk items and take precautions

If there are items you know are more likely to be stolen, either because you’ve experienced it in the past or because they’re more expensive, take particular care to make them a harder target for shoplifters.

You could place these items in locked display cases, if that’s a viable option. Alternatively you could make sure their displays are near the till, or somewhere where a member of staff will always be able to keep an eye on them.

Smaller and inexpensive items can also be attractive to shoplifters as they can be easily concealed. 

7. Complete regular stock takes

It’s hard to know if you’ve been stolen from if you don’t know what you had in the first place.

Keeping up-to-date with your stock takes and inventories will help you identify any theft, or even spot patterns if it happens regularly, and you can then make the necessary changes.

8. Tagging and CCTV

If you have the budget to introduce electronic tagging and security cameras then this can help deter thieves even more. An anti-theft tagging system allows you to tag products so an alarm will sound if someone walks out without paying.

Read our guide to the best security cameras for shops for more information.

What to do if you’ve been a victim of theft

It’s important to let both the police and your insurer know if you’ve had items stolen from your shop.

Shop insurance from Simply Business can cover you for theft, so if you don’t have a policy already in place, then it may be time to start thinking about one.

Read more about theft insurance for small businesses in our guide.

As well as keeping an eye out for shoplifters, it’s important to remain vigilant when it comes to spotting scammers and fraudsters. This means confirming emails and phone calls are legitimate and being aware of common scams like fake PayPal invoices, tax rebates, and failed delivery notices. 

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