Shoplifting in England and Wales has surged to a record high, with 443,995 offences recorded by the police in the year to March 2024, marking a 30% increase from the previous year's 342,428 incidents, the Guardian reported.

This figure, the highest since records began in 2003, highlights the escalating challenge retailers face with theft.

The Office for National Statistics also reported a 40% rise in thefts from people within shops, encompassing pickpocketing and snatch thefts, with incidents totalling 131,453 in the same period.

Overall fraud saw an 8% increase to 1.2 million offences, driven primarily by a 20% rise in cases referred by UK Finance, despite reductions in bank account and credit card fraud.

Retailers are particularly alarmed by the economic impact of this crime wave, which is reportedly costing the industry £1.8bn ($2.32bn) annually and adding at least 6p to every store transaction due to theft and increased security expenses, which have surged by an additional £700m.

The rise in shoplifting and other theft-related crimes comes amid broader concerns about public tolerance for dishonesty.

A recent government report indicates growing societal acceptance of fraud and theft, with a Department for Work and Pensions document warning of an increasing propensity for such crimes, complicating efforts to manage fraudulent benefit claims.

The newly inaugurated Labour government has responded with promises to tighten laws on shoplifting and assaults on retail workers.

The proposed 'Crime Bill' aims to reverse the 2014 ‘shoplifters’ charter’ by requiring police to investigate thefts of goods under £200 and introducing a specific offence for assaulting shop workers, potentially punishable by up to six months in jail.

Violence against retail staff has been a significant concern, with business owners advocating for stronger protective measures.