Stores count cost of crime

The total amount of retail goods lost - calculated as a percentage of sales - rose by 6.2 per cent in the year to July, a study by the Centre for Retail Research found.

While shoplifting was estimated at 43.8 per cent of the total loss, theft by UK employees was also a major factor at 36.1 per cent.

Neil Matthews, vice-president of loss prevention firm Checkpoint Systems, who commissioned the report, said: “The fact that retail loss has increased so significantly should certainly not be taken lightly.

“It’s extremely worrying that the actions of some people can end up affecting innocent families financially, which is a cost the majority of people can ill-afford in this tough economic climate.”

The Global Retail Theft Barometer 2011, based on a survey of 1,187 large retailers with combined sales of 984 billion US dollars (£623.8bn), found that thieves were stealing an average of £79 worth of goods each time, indicating a preference for branded merchandise that could be resold.

Some 1.86 per cent of clothing sales were lost, while mascara, eyeliner and eyeshadow increased to 2.37 per cent.

Natural and speciality foods also recorded high levels of theft, with cheese experiencing more than three times the loss percentage (3.9 per cent) than the global average (1.29 per cent).

Mr Matthews added: “High losses are experienced by a relatively small number of product lines, particularly those that have been recently launched, expensive, easily stolen and in great demand.

“Compared to the 2010 figures, loss among the high-risk food lines has shot up by more than the global average, evidence that they are increasingly being targeted by shoplifters.”