Retail and wholesale sector sees record levels of crime

  Posted by: electime      10th September 2025

A new study has found that retailers and wholesalers are the worst-affected by crime against physical business premises in the UK, with over two-fifths of firms affected.

This comes as data from the Metropolitan Police reveals that almost 800 shoplifting offences go unsolved each day in England and Wales, highlighting the severity of the issue.

In fact, around one in 10 (9 per cent) of all businesses affected by physical crime report the financial hit as ‘severe’, with another 54 per cent describing it as ‘moderate’.

The business finance experts at money.co.uk business savings have analysed the latest government figures on crimes against business premises to identify the industries where firms face the most significant challenges.

Industries that suffer the most physical crime:

*(excludes e-crime, e.g. viruses/hacking)

Retail spaces are designed to be open to the public and packed with stock, often making them an easy target for theft. According to Home Office data, over two-fifths (41.3 per cent) of retail and wholesale premises are victims of crime each year.

In addition to theft, some retail workers also face challenges such as customer aggression, with 2,000 such incidents being directed at them. Sector-wide initiatives continue to raise awareness and improve safety for both staff and business operations.

Further study insight: The wholesale and retail trade sector sees an average of 75,000 workplace-related injuries annually.

Joe Phelan, money.co.uk business savings expert, offers tips on building a safety net to help mitigate the impact of workplace crimes:

“With the daily pressures of running a business, it’s easy to push savings down the priority list. However, this data is a stark reminder that a healthy contingency fund isn’t a ‘nice-to-have’ – it’s crucial to protecting your people and your operations.

“By building a safety net, you’ll be better placed to support colleagues, while keeping the business running smoothly. Building up a contingency fund doesn’t have to be complicated. Even small, regular contributions to a savings account can help businesses stay resilient through staff absences, workplace incidents, or crime-related disruptions.

“These accounts allow you to earn interest on your savings and, crucially, the money is on hand the moment you need it. This can help you protect your employees and your business if your team members get injured or fall ill, or if you’re a victim of a crime.”