Just 10 per cent of shoplifters are responsible for 70 per cent of thefts from UK stores, new research has revealed.

The findings, reported by The Telegraph, show that the most persistent shoplifters commit an average of 40 police-recorded offences, although the true number is likely to be significantly higher due to incidents going unreported or undetected.

The figures showcase the disproportionate impact a relatively small group of offenders is having on retailers, as the sector continues to grapple with shop theft and violence against store staff.

Separate research from retail crime intelligence platform Auror found that the most prolific 10 per cent of offenders were responsible for 68 per cent of retail crime incidents, while repeat offenders were 3.6 times more likely to use a weapon and 3.1 times more likely to be violent.

The findings come as retailers and police forces increasingly focus their efforts on identifying and targeting repeat offenders.

Last month, Co-op revealed that the number of retail crime cases solved had almost doubled following a trial of a new reporting system with Devon and Cornwall Police.

It said police data showed that 90 per cent of identified shoplifters in the area were repeat offenders, with just 50 individuals responsible for around a quarter of all shop theft offences.

The system, SentrySIS, allows retailers to share evidence more efficiently with police, link offences committed by the same individuals and build stronger cases against prolific criminals.

Meanwhile, the latest Office for National Statistics figures showed that police-recorded shoplifting offences fell two per cent to 519,516 in the year to June 2026, compared with 530,336 the previous year.

However, the British Retail Consortium has warned that progress remains too slow, with retailers continuing to face significant levels of theft, violence and abuse.

The trade body has also called on ministers to bring into force measures under the Crime and Policing Act 2026, including a new standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker and the removal of the £200 threshold for the summary-only treatment of low-value shop theft.

The BRC said the measures were urgently needed to provide greater protection for shopworkers, who continue to face an average of 1,600 incidents of violence or abuse every day.

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