Rise in shoplifting and theft in UK finds nine in 10 retailers in rural areas targeted
Summary
Most rural shops in the UK have faced crime in the past year, including theft and shoplifting. These crimes have caused big financial losses for shop owners, and many have also experienced threats or attacks on their staff.Key Facts
- Nine out of ten rural retailers in the UK experienced crime in the last 12 months.
- On average, each affected rural shop lost about £83,000 due to crime.
- Almost 25% of rural retailers faced crime more than six times in the year.
- Inner-city shops had the highest crime rate, with 94% reporting incidents, followed closely by urban and rural shops with around 91%.
- One example is a farm shop in Kent that had a break-in at Easter, losing £5,000 and donations for charity.
- A new UK law now makes assaulting retail workers a specific crime and removes a low-level theft threshold, increasing penalties.
- Nearly half of rural retailers reported verbal abuse of their staff, and a quarter reported physical assaults.
- Many retailers believe crime has increased across the UK in the past year.
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