Retailers are raising the alarm this week after the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) revealed a massive jump in retail store theft of 10.4 per cent in the last two years to June 2026.
According to BOCSAR, retail theft in NSW is the only one of 13 major crime categories to see a significant increase over the last two years.
The nation’s peak body for retail, the Australian Retail Council (ARC), believes these new figures reinforce the need to pass Workplace Protection Order legislation as soon as possible.
In the 12 months to June, NSW recorded 32,835 retail theft incidents, equivalent to almost 90 incidents every day.
ARC CEO Chris Rodwell called the trend highly concerning.
“These figures confirm the experience of our retailers,” Rodwell said. “Retail theft is not only heading in the wrong direction; it is now the outlier.
“We know this is not simply about isolated, opportunistic shoplifting. Repeat and organised offenders are responsible for a disproportionate amount of retail crime and harm.
“We also know repeat offenders are much more likely to become violent or threatening. The biggest concern for retailers is not simply the stock walking out the door. It is what can happen when a worker or customer is confronted by one of these criminals.”
ARC estimates retail crime costs NSW $2.8 billion a year.
Rodwell said retail theft is not a victimless crime, adding it affects workers and customers, as well as the costs to each business’s bottom line.
“Retailers can only absorb so much. Some of that cost ultimately ends up in the prices everyone pays at the checkout.”
According to Rodwell, these figures means NSW must focus on measures targeting repeat offenders, citing the NSW Government’s commitment to introduce Workplace Protection Order legislation to Parliament next month. WPOs are similar to AVOs, whereby a store or business can apply for a court order to block offenders from entering certain retail spaces.
Rodwell said WPOs are important because they give retailers another way to protect their people from serious repeat offenders. We’ve made it clear that we want these protections operating as quickly as possible.”
Rodwell also welcomed increased police action against retail offending, with BOCSAR recording a 16.2 per cent rise in adults taken to court for alleged retail theft and a 26.4 per cent increase among young people.
“NSW Police deserve enormous credit for the work they are doing. Along with South Australia, NSW is one of the few states with a dedicated statewide police operation focused specifically on retail crime, with a clear focus on repeat offenders,” Rodwell said.
“We are seeing more alleged retail offenders being put before the courts, and that police focus is critical.
“The goal now is to turn this trend around. We urge the NSW Parliament to pass Workplace Protection Order legislation as soon as possible.”