Keir Starmer has said the “tide could be turning” on shoplifting, pointing to a 17% rise in people charged for what has become a hot political issue.
CCTV footage that could be shared immediately with the police should be used more widely, the prime minister said, adding that “the hope of technology” could make a difference.
Official figures last year revealed annual shoplifting offences in England and Wales had passed half a million for the first time.
“It’s disgraceful that people just working in their shop have to take abuse from customers,” Starmer told a conference of the Usdaw trade union, which represents shopworkers.
The Labour leader, whose government is attempting to introduce a new offence of assaulting a retail worker, added: “It’s disgraceful that people feel sick to the stomach thinking about how they’re going to get through the day and it’s disgraceful that people can have their lives and livelihoods ruined by persistent shop theft.”
Starmer highlighted the government’s decision to scrap “the ridiculous regulation” where stolen goods worth less than £200 would not be properly investigated.
“I’m not blind to how big this challenge is, but the numbers of people charged has gone up by 17%,” he said, referring to figures published last week.
“In the latest stats shop theft is down. It’s only slightly down, but the tide could be turning. There’s also the hope of technology because in some parts of the country, police and retailers have been using technology that sends CCTV footage through to the police immediately.”
The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show a 1% fall in police-recorded shoplifting in 2025, but recent clarifications to counting rules mean they are not directly comparable to 2024. The Home Office told police forces last year that cases where violence was used or threatened should instead be counted as a robbery of business property. Combined shoplifting and robbery of business offences rose 1% in 2025.
The Conservatives accused Starmer of “a brazen cheek”, claiming he was “part of the problem, not the solution”.
Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said shoplifting was up 8% under the Labour government and had been made worse by a drop in police numbers of 1,300 in the past year.
In Britain 33% of people have witnessed shoplifting in the past 12 months, according to recent YouGov polling, though young people don’t see it as a serious crime.
A Harris Poll UK survey on Monday indicated there was overwhelming public support for a tougher crackdown, with 85% supporting the banning of repeat shoplifters from stores.
The issue also took a turn this month when political figures and others rallied behind Walker Smith, a Waitrose employee of 17 years who told of his devastation after being sacked for stopping a shoplifter who had ransacked a display of Lindt Gold Bunny Easter eggs.
Joanne Thomas, Usdaw’s general secretary, said retail crime remained at very high levels, adding: “While there has been a welcome small decrease in shoplifting across last year, the fact is retail crime continues to be a significant issue for the sector and, particularly, staff.”
She said the government’s investment in policing and funding for more uniformed officers in shopping areas had started to produce results, and echoed retailers’ welcoming of the crime and policing bill, which reclassifies theft and introduces strict protections for retail staff.
Alex Baldock, the chief executive of Currys, welcomed making aggression against retail workers a standalone offence, adding: “Workers should be able to go to work feeling the law is on their side.” The company is considering a trial of body-worn cameras for staff.
Ed Woodall, the chief executive of the Association of Convenience Stores, said the ACS strongly welcomed the bill, which he said would “help to reset the narrative on shop theft”.
“Retailers tell us that the most effective deterrent is police presence in communities, but when an incident does occur it’s essential that we see action being taken to break the cycle of reoffending by prolific thieves,” he added.
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