Food retailers across the UK have reported a sharp rise in pensioners resorting to shoplifting, with experts attributing the surge to the ongoing cost of living crisis.
A leading retail security firm has revealed that elderly shoppers, many of whom have never previously committed a crime, are increasingly stealing basic essentials.
John Nussbaum, retail services director at Kingdom Services Group, which oversees security for hundreds of UK retail outlets, said his teams were witnessing “a different type of shoplifter now,” as economic pressures drive ordinary citizens to desperate measures.
According to Nussbaum, the company is receiving between 20 and 30 weekly reports of shoplifting cases involving individuals “who simply can’t afford to eat.” He cited examples such as older shoppers discreetly pocketing items like jars of coffee while leaving another in the trolley.
“Pensioners now make up around 5% of all those apprehended for shoplifting in our stores every week,” Nussbaum told PA Media.
“This is entirely new territory. I’ve worked in security for 30 years and have never seen this before. Ten or even five years ago, this simply didn’t happen.”
The shift marks a significant departure from the norm, which typically involved organised criminal groups targeting retail chains.
“Now, we’re seeing mothers shoplifting while accompanied by their children and pensioners stealing food. This isn’t crime for profit – it’s survival,” he said.
Retailers are often reluctant to contact police when pensioners are caught, fearing public backlash.
“No supermarket wants the headlines that come from prosecuting an elderly person trying to feed themselves,” Nussbaum added.
His comments follow recent figures from the Office for National Statistics showing that shoplifting offences in England and Wales hit an all-time high in 2024, surpassing half a million incidents for the first time. A total of 516,971 offences were recorded last year, up 20% from 2023’s 429,873.
Despite the alarming figures, retailers argue that the real scale is vastly under-reported.
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) estimates the cost of retail theft exceeds £2.2 billion annually and is a major contributor to violence and abuse against retail staff.
Graham Wynn, BRC assistant director for business and regulation, said: “Retail crime is far from victimless. It drives up costs for honest customers and creates an unsafe working environment. Organised gangs are a growing concern, moving rapidly from one store to another, stealing to order.”
The 2014 legal change in England and Wales, which meant theft under £200 rarely results in custodial sentences, has led to claims that shops are now seen as easy targets.
Meanwhile, some critics argue that retailers have made matters worse by cutting staff and expanding the use of self-service checkouts.
In response, businesses have invested heavily in security technologies, including artificial intelligence and facial recognition systems.
For instance, Asda has launched a facial-recognition trial at five of its Greater Manchester stores to identify repeat offenders using CCTV data cross-referenced with internal watchlists.
The government is also moving to address the crisis through a new crime and policing bill.
It includes removing the £200 threshold for minor thefts and establishing a separate offence for assaulting retail workers. Ministers have also pledged funding to target organised retail gangs.
But frontline staff continue to face daily threats. “There is serious violence now,” Nussbaum said.
“One of our officers was punched in the face just this week, and others wear stab-proof vests in shopping centres. Firearms are not uncommon. The risks are very real.”
