Retail crime presents a serious health and safety risk to employees and customers, and to the financial sustainability of retail businesses. Retail NZ carries out regular surveys of members to assess the scale of the crime challenges that retail businesses are facing. Find our latest reports here.
COMS Retail Crime Report 2024
The COMS Retail Crime Report 2024 found that retail crime rates are significantly under-reported in New Zealand.
Our research found that 99% of respondents, representing more than 1500 stores across New Zealand and online, experienced some form of retail crime or anti-social behaviour, totalling 140,746 incidents, in 2023-24. The incidents ranged from credit card fraud and shoplifting through to threatening behaviour, criminal damage and physical assault.
But almost 40% of those retail crimes were not reported to Police.
The $2.6 billion annual cost of retail crime flows through from retailers to customers to the New Zealand economy and is a major brake on the retail sector’s contribution to economic growth.
Retail NZ’s Position Statement on Retail Crime outlines the key problems, what the impact is and solutions. If you have questions regarding our reports or require any further assistance managing retail crime in your business, please email [email protected] or give us a call on 0800 472 472 (1800 128 086 from Australia).Â
Read the report below.
Retail Crime Report 2023
92% of retailers who responded to our 2023 survey had experienced some form of retail crime in the past 12 months. Just 8% of retailers were not knowingly affected by retail crime. This is a significant increase on when we last undertook this survey in 2017; at that time 81% of retailers had experienced some form of crime over the past 12 months.
Retail Crime Position Statement
The Retail NZ position statement outlines the key problems, what the impact is and solutions.
Retail Crime Advice Hub
See our advice and further resources on retail crime.
