Australia’s shoplifting problem just hit a grim milestone.

Fresh ABS ‘Recorded Crime – Victims’ figures for 2024 show “other theft” rose 6% to 595,660 victims.

That’s the highest level since 2003.

Almost half of those incidents, involving 268,666 victims, occurred in retail settings.

Victoria remains the epicentre of the shoplifting crisis.

Crime data shows theft offences jumped by more than 51,000 in 2024 to 225,958, lifting the theft rate to its highest level since 2016.

That’s consistent with claims from the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) and others that Victoria is the epicentre of the crime surge.

Store theft reaching historically high levels won’t be news to retailers or anyone who’s been following Channel News’ coverage of the issue.

The latest crime figures are further evidence that shoplifting is out of control, especially in Victoria

Retailers and their industry groups have been calling for a range of anti-shoplifting measures to be introduced for a long time.

These measures include introducing workplace protection orders nationally (these are already in force in the ACT), strengthening legislation, and enabling the responsible adoption of technologies such as body-worn cameras and facial recognition.

The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) CEO Chris Rodwell says the latest data is yet more evidence that stakeholders need to come together to take firm and urgent action.

“These numbers reflect what retailers know too well. We are confronting a full-scale retail crime crisis,” he said.

“We need to act now. There are far too many innocent victims – team members and customers – across the country. The financial impact on businesses is also unsustainable and ultimately adds to the price at the checkout.”