Shoplifting offences have risen by 13% in the past year, with 529,994 incidents reported, according to the latest Office for National Statistics figures.
A major trade body has warned, however, that the “true scale” of the crime is even bigger.
Theft is costing shops more than £2.2bn a year, according to the British Retail Consortium.
“While ONS figures do not reveal the true scale of the issue as it only tracks reported incidents, it chimes with our own statistics which show shoplifting soaring in recent years,” said Lucy Whing, crime policy adviser at the BRC.
“The causes are manifold, but the rise in organised crime is a particular concern, with gangs systematically hitting stores one after another, all over the country.
“Theft is also a major trigger for violence and abuse against staff. Incidents of violence and abuse have risen to over 2,000 per day.”
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