The average cost of shop theft per convenience store in Scotland reached £10,431 in 2025.
According to the Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF) Crime Report 2026, released today, the total financial impact of shop theft across Scotland’s 5,228 convenience stores was estimated at £54.5m last year.
Of the 732 retailers surveyed for the report, over half (54.8%) reported an increase in shoplifting in 2025, with 99.6% experiencing daily incidents.
The survey showed over three quarters of stores (77.8%) now have at least one member of staff who has experienced mental health or wellbeing issues as a direct result of retail crime. Meanwhile, almost four in five retailers (78.3%) reported an increase in violence towards shop workers.
More than 80% of retailers reported incidents of hate crime at least once a month, while over 75% experienced violence against staff on a monthly basis.
Nearly all respondents (99.4%) faced weekly incidents of abuse when refusing a sale or requesting proof of age.
“Assaults, stabbings, spitting, threats, and relentless abuse have become an all-too-common part of daily life on the shop floor,” said SGF chief executive Pete Cheema.
“Retail crime is spiralling out of control. Every indicator is moving in the wrong direction, and the damage to workers, businesses and local communities is profound and accelerating. This is a public safety emergency hiding in plain sight.
“Retailers urgently need support. The police and courts are overwhelmed, and many crimes go unreported because retailers lack confidence that action will be taken. Offenders know they are unlikely to face consequences, and even when arrests are made, cases can take years to reach conviction.”
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