Our shop doors are locked during opening hours after theft
A boutique owner in Surrey has begun locking her shop doors during business hours following a series of organized, aggressive thefts. The report highlights a broader trend of rising shoplifting offences in the UK and the sophisticated tactics employed by criminal groups.
Why it matters
The rise in organized retail crime is forcing small businesses to adopt restrictive security measures, impacting both operational costs and staff well-being.
Image caption, Shop owner Paige Mengers says shop theft has become very organised
A shop owner has described how she locks her door during opening hours and customers have to ring the bell to get in after her store was targeted by thieves last year.
Paige Mengers, who runs a designer boutique in Surrey, has been speaking about the impact of shoplifting, with recorded offences remaining above pre-pandemic levels.
Home Office figures show there were 42,674 shoplifting offences across Kent, Surrey and Sussex in 2025/26 compared with 28,048 cases in 2019/20.
The government said overall offences in England and Wales fell 4% last year, with more suspects being charged.
Mengers, who has stores in Cobham and south-west London, said she boosted security after a raid in January 2025 involving men with wire cutters.
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