Almost 290,000 shoplifting cases went unsolved in England and Wales, with the Metropolitan Police having the worst record.
According to House of Commons library analysis, 76.9% of 93,705 shoplifting cases reported to police last year were closed with no suspect identified and just 5.9% resulted in a charge.
On average, 197 offences a day went unsolved in London.
But according to the British Retail Consortium only one in 10 is ever reported to police so the figure will be much higher.
Shop theft is estimated to the cost the capital’s retailers £17.01 million every month.
In England and Wales, some 289,464 cases were closed with no suspect across forces in 2024-25, up from 245,337 in 2023-24.
The analysis produced for the Liberal Democrats suggests on average 793 offences a day went unsolved.
The data covered all territorial police forces in England and Wales except Humberside, along with the British Transport Police.
Official figures published last month for all forces showed the number of shoplifting offences recorded by police in England and Wales had climbed to a record high last year.
Around Some 530,643 offences were logged in 2024-25, up 20% from 444,022 in 2023-24 and the highest total since current police recording practices began in 2002-03.
Liberal Democrat MP Joshua Reynolds said: “These shameful figures show that the police are failing to crack down on the shoplifting epidemic facing our country.”
Earlier this month, Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber suggested shoppers should intervene if they spotted someone stealing.
He told BBC Radio Berkshire that he was not suggesting the public should tackle shoplifting instead of the police.
But he said they could report it to police or staff, film it on their mobile phone, shout at the thief and “some people will feel able to physically intervene”.
Maidenhead MP Mr Reynolds said: “The suggestion by a Conservative police chief that it’s up to the public to stop shoplifters was both reckless and dangerous.
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“I’ve worked in retail so I know what it feels like to have to confront shoplifters – it’s frightening and it’s dangerous.”
Retail bosses have previously warned that shop theft is spiralling out of control and that business owners need to see immediate results as ministers have pledged thousands more officers for neighbourhood policing by next spring.
Last week, the Met announced nearly 1,400 suspects have been arrested during a policing crackdown on London’s 20 most blighted town centres, including shoplifter Steven Barrs who raided the same Co-op store in Notting Hill 15 times.
Another criminal Mark Stavrou, 32, held in the summer blitz pleaded guilty to 113 theft and burglary offences in a one-man crimewave on Sainsbury’s and Morrisons supermarkets in Chingford.
Separately, masked raiders who stormed an O2 phone shop on Tottenham Court Road and made off with 100 iPhones and Apple Watches worth £100,000 were cornered minutes later in nearby Cranleigh Street on July 24.
The men - aged 18, 24 and 25 - entered the store wearing balaclavas at about 7.17pm.
Devices were recovered from a car stopped by officers, a large machete was also found and the suspects arrested on suspicion of aggravated burglary.
A Met spokeswoman said: “Across the Met we’re focused on tackling the most prolific shoplifters as we know the fear they cause retail workers and the negative impact their offending has on communities.
“We know shoplifting has a huge impact on businesses and also fuels other crime and anti-social behaviour. Through proactive patrols and activity the Met has solved 163 per cent more cases this year than in the same period last year.
“We’re working with retailers to understand their concerns and we continue to encourage them to report offences to us as it helps us take a targeted approach to tackling offending.”
