The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) has backed a major new report which shows stolen goods markets are fuelling a surge in shop theft across Britain.
The report finds that offenders are able to convert stolen stock into cash through car boot sales, online marketplaces and rogue traders.
Bira, which works with over 6,000 independent retailers across the UK, says the findings confirm what it’s long argued - that online marketplaces need to do far more to stop the sale of stolen goods.
The report, Stolen Goods: Exploring the Shifting Landscape of Illicit Markets and Identifying Ways to Disrupt Them, was commissioned by the National Business Crime Centre (NBCC), operated by the City of London Police, and authored by Professor Emmeline Taylor of the Aptus Business Crime Research Centre at City St George’s, University of London.
It’s the first UK study to examine in detail what happens to stolen property after it’s taken. It identifies what it calls a ‘missing middle’ of handlers, buyers and resellers, who move stolen goods from thieves into markets that look legitimate.
Industrial scale
Andrew Goodacre, CEO of Bira, said: “This report highlights why theft from shops has increased on an industrial scale, damaging retail businesses right across the UK.
“We’ve been saying for a long time that online marketplaces need to do more to stop the sale of stolen goods, and this research shows exactly why that action cannot wait any longer.
“Disrupting the markets that make theft profitable is just as important as catching the people who steal in the first place,” Goodacre added.
The report recommends a National Stolen Goods Intelligence Framework, stronger traceability for high-risk products and greater accountability for online platforms. Bira is urging government and industry to act on the findings without delay.
The NBCC report can be read in full here.
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