The Scottish Grocers’ Federation has called for sustained funding for Police Scotland to tackle retail crime, following new figures showing a sharp rise in shop theft across the country.
According to Scottish Government statistics published on 26 August, reported shoplifting increased by 17% year on year, rising from 40,554 to 47,381 crimes. Compared to the year ending June 2021, shoplifting has surged by 124%.
And of course, these figures only reflect reported crime — the true numbers are likely far higher.
The Scottish Government allocated an additional £3m to Police Scotland for retail crime in the 2025/26 budget, but that funding has not been extended beyond the current financial year.
Luke McGarty, Head of Policy & Public Affairs at SGF, said retail crime was rising across every metric, including organised crime, and warned that the impact on staff, businesses and communities was becoming overwhelming.
“Shop staff who provide an essential local service are facing abuse and violence every day,” he said. “Businesses are forking out thousands of pounds for extra security and in lost goods. That is completely unacceptable.”
He said SGF welcomed the extra funding allocated last year and had been working closely with Police Scotland to support the new retail crime taskforce. While progress was being made, McGarty stressed that the funding must be renewed in the autumn budget, “before the situation gets even worse.”
SGF’s annual Crime Report 2024/2025 shows the average cost of shop theft and vandalism has risen to £19,673 per store – up 38% from the previous year – with a total annual cost of approximately £102.7m.
