Losses from shoplifting soar to the highest level recorded in nine years

Retailers also claim that organised crime gangs are targeting expensive items and have driven up the cost of the average theft by nearly two-thirds.

The British Retail Consortium’s (BRC) annual crime survey found that among 30 retailers, who represent 51 per cent of the retail sector by turnover, there were 631,391 incidents of customer theft in 2012-13, the highest level recorded for nine years.

Only nine per cent of these crimes were reported to police, a drop from 12 per cent the previous year, in what the BRC suggests shows a lack of faith in law enforcement.

The report said: “This is an indication of the lack of confidence businesses have in the police response to customer theft and the perception that it is often perceived as a victimless crime and as a result not taken seriously.”

Around a quarter of thefts were never detected.

Figures also showed that the average value per theft had increased to £177, a 62 per cent rise on the previous year and again the highest figure for nine years.

The report found that department stores and mixed retailers suffered thefts around six times the value of supermarket thefts.

It said: “Respondents told us that organised crime gangs systematically targeting higher value items is a factor driving up the average cost of customer theft. The items targeted included branded electrical goods, designer clothing, handbags and power tools.

“As well as being prepared to travel further to commit such thefts, anecdotal evidence indicates that organised groups are also more willing to obtain a wide range of high value items, rather than focusing on theft of a particular brand or item as previously.”

Helen Dickinson of the British Retail Consortium, said: “Theft from stores pushed the direct cost of retail crime up to £511m last year, 166 per cent higher than five years ago. Far from being victimless, we all pay for this increased stealing through higher prices and, increasingly, shop closures and damage to town centres as safety is reduced and communities are blighted.”