‘Massive’ increase in pensioner shoplifters across UK

• Shoplifting incidents involving pensioners are increasing significantly in the UK, likely due to rising living costs.
• Retail security firm Kingdom Security reports a weekly surge of 20-30 shoplifting cases nationally, often involving individuals struggling to afford food.
• An estimated 5 per cent of those caught shoplifting by Kingdom Security staff are over 50, a demographic not typically associated with such crimes.
• Retailers are often reluctant to involve police when pensioners are caught shoplifting, opting to handle matters internally.
• This trend coincides with a record high of more than half a million shoplifting offenses recorded by police in England and Wales in 2024.

IN FULL

Staff report ‘massive’ increase in pensioner shoplifters