Scotland is grappling with a significant increase in shoplifting, with official crime statistics for 2025/26 indicating 53,369 detected thefts from shops, averaging 146 incidents daily. This represents a 19 percent increase from the previous year and a near doubling over the past decade, leading to criticism of the Scottish National Party (SNP) government's approach to law and order.
Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Stephen Kerr stated that the figures demonstrate an "epidemic of shoplifting cases" and that retail workers are being put at risk. He accused SNP ministers of failing to address the escalating number of offenses and suggested that a perceived "soft-touch approach to justice" coupled with "savage cuts to frontline policing" has emboldened criminals. Kerr argued that police forces lack the necessary resources to effectively combat these crimes.
The recorded crime statistics for 2025/26 show a 19 percent rise from the 44,730 cases recorded the prior year. Compared to the 28,650 incidents in 2016/17, the number of shoplifting offenses has increased by 86 percent over ten years.
Scottish Labour echoed these concerns, describing retail crime as "running riot" in Scotland. Pauline McNeill, the party's justice spokesman, noted that the rise in crime has occurred despite the establishment of the Scottish Government's retail crime taskforce in April 2025. McNeill criticized the taskforce as "no silver bullet" and called for a comprehensive plan to strengthen policing, support businesses, and enhance community safety. She also highlighted that police officers are often occupied with court and hospital waiting rooms, limiting their presence in communities.
Recent surveys indicate the severity of the issue. A Scottish Retail Consortium survey found that 19 percent of shoppers had witnessed verbal or physical attacks on shop workers, and 18 percent had seen shoplifting incidents in the past year. Ewan MacDonald-Russell, deputy head of the consortium, estimated the cost of shop theft in Scotland to be £50 million last year, impacting prices and the high street experience.
Community safety minister Kirsten Oswald acknowledged the government's concern regarding the rise in retail crime, particularly as other crime categories have seen decreases. She stated that an additional £3 million annually has been allocated to Police Scotland to establish and sustain the Retail Crime Taskforce. According to Oswald, the taskforce's "four-strand approach – prevent, pursue, protect and prepare" has led to over 6,400 charges in its first year, with a detection rate approaching 51 percent. She emphasized the government's support for using laws to hold offenders accountable and encouraged reporting of retail crime to Police Scotland.