By Alfie Robinson

Crimes of dishonesty which refers to shoplifting, fraud, housebreaking along with crimes of a kindred nature, had increased by 7% since 2022.

Fraud and Shoplifting stand as an outlier, since 2014 all other categories that represent crimes of dishonesty have seen large decreases. Conversely shoplifting alone has shot up by 41% since 2014. However, 34% of that happened between 2022 and 2024.

More concerning is the shamelessness individuals portray when carrying out these offences. In recent years the ‘Kamikaze’ technique grew in popularity, this involves thieves clearing shelves in full view of customers and staff, often in a violent manner. When dealing with shop theft, owners now feel a concern not only for the depth of their pockets, but also their physical and mental well-being.

When asked how the increase in shoplifting has affected him, Glasgow based Day2Day shop owner Ahmed said: “It’s a big impact because people don’t consider that if I buy a box of 10 items ill calculate the price for what each item costs, then sell for a specific amount to make money. That profit goes towards salaries, wages and business rates. As soon as two or three things are stolen cost price significantly increases and margins drop.

“But people need their wages, and they don't care about stolen goods and council needs their tax so the only person taking a big hit is me as the owner, so I've noticed the increase massively.”

This leaves many business owners wondering what the government plans to do about this rise in shoplifters Ahmed said: “The government absolutely need to do more. You’ve got security camera companies that have created AI cameras which I have in all my stores.

“But that's all independent and out of our own pockets therefore another financial hit for me. We don't have a massive voice, but we have things like the Scottish Grocers Federation who sit in parliament and talk to governing bodies about these issues. They have tried to put things in place with councils to help put a stop. But it's like going in circles, you've got this massive institution like the SGF going down south trying to affect change, but nothing is being implemented.”

The lack of support given by governing bodies to deal with the unprecedented rise in crime is affecting shop owners' ability to organise their business and their bottom line. It is a necessity for small business owners that legislative and procedural change is made from a governmental level. Large chain supermarkets can fund these types of procedural updates like AI security systems. But for many self-employed proprietors, this type of reconstruction requires further aid from the same institutions that encourage entrepreneurship.

Concerning rise in shoplifters across the UK