Shoplifting has increased by 133% over the past five years, based on House of Commons library data analyzed by the Liberal Democrats. Reports to police of shoplifting rose from 228,128 in 2020-21 to 530,457 in 2024-25. 64% in 2020-21 to less than 7% in 2024-25, according to the same analysis.
Marks & Spencer criticized the government and police for failing to get a grip on shoplifting, claiming attacks on its stores by thieves have become more brazen, organized, and aggressive. The Liberal Democrats say the only way to tackle the shoplifting epidemic is a return to community policing with dedicated police counters in towns. The Daily Express's Stop The Shoplifters crusade demands increased police presence with physical attendance from officers to every reported incident by retailers.
Labour pledged every community will get a named contactable officer and to put 13,000 extra police back on the streets by the end of this Parliament. The government's new crime and policing bill aims to curb shoplifting by axing the low value theft rule inherited from the Conservatives, which treats shoplifted items below £200 as minor summary offences.