New research reveals Wales’ shoplifting hotspots

New research has revealed Wales’ shoplifting hotspots and there’s one clear winner.

The study by commercial security systems provider Avigilon analysed data from the Office for National Statistics covering shoplifting incidents across Wales over 12 months.

The results identified the total number of shoplifting incidents recorded by area, as well as the proportion of shoplifting incidents compared to all recorded crime. The number of shoplifting incidents in each area scaled per 1,000 local population ranked those most vulnerable to shoplifting.

Cardiff recorded the highest rate of shoplifting, with 14.55 incidents per 1,000 residents in the last year. The Welsh capital was revealed to experience a total of 5,585 shoplifting offences during the period studied, accounting for 14% of all local crime. When averaged over the year, this equates to over 15 shoplifting incidents per day.

Newport ranked second with 12.5 incidents per 1,000 people, with a total of 2,098 incidents over the year. This accounted for 11% of all recorded crime in the area.

Wrexham ranked third on the list, with 10.08 incidents per 1,000 residents. According to the findings, shoplifting accounted for 11.1% of all crimes reported in the area, with 1,394 incidents reported over 12 months.

Swansea and Conwy round out the top five areas most vulnerable to shoplifting, with rates of 9.81 and 8.81 shoplifting incidents per 1,000 people, respectively.

The findings also revealed the areas with the lowest shoplifting rates, and therefore, the least vulnerable to shoplifting.

Powys was revealed to have the lowest incident rate of shoplifting in Wales, at just 2.05 incidents per 1,000 residents. Over the 12 months analysed, just 277 total shoplifting incidents were reported in the area, accounting for 4.2% of all crime.

Isle of Anglesey and Caerphilly follow in second and third with shoplifting rates of 2.75 and 3.01 per 1,000 residents, respectively.

Fourth is Ceredigion, with the study revealing the area experienced 3.17 shoplifting incidents per 1,000 people, and Pembrokeshire ranks fifth with a rate of 3.72 per 1,000 residents.

Will Macdonald, Director of Product Management for Avigilon at Motorola Solutions, said:

“For retailers in the high-risk areas listed, investing in robust security measures like high-definition video and analytics can make a significant difference. Modern security systems can help identify potential incidents before they occur and provide valuable evidence when they do.

“To help combat this increased risk, focusing security resources on known high-risk periods and product areas is particularly important during busy shopping periods.”

Methodology

Data related to crime counts for shoplifting and total offences by Community Safety Partnership area for the year ending March 2024 from the Office for National Statistics were analysed, along with 2024 population figures. This revealed shoplifting incidents as a proportion of all crimes for all areas, as well as the shoplifting incident rates per 1,000 residents.

Sources

Office for National Statistics – LINK

Office for National Statistics Population Estimates – LINK