Retail crime is sharply rising in Australian cities, with Melbourne seeing the highest increase, making it the new retail crime capital of the country, according to a recent study.
Software management platform and Motorola Solutions company Noggin analysed data based on three years of police reports and attributed the spike in retail crime to tobacco-related disputes and shoplifting cases in the area.
Jeremy Smith, Senior Vice President of Enterprise Resilience & Security Sales at MSSSI, said that higher living costs, post-pandemic foot traffic, and strained local resources are possible contributing factors influencing the increase in retail crime.
“This surge in retail crime presents a growing challenge that not only impacts retailers and staff but erodes consumer confidence, compromising long-term economic stability,” said Smith.
“Sharp rises across the country demonstrate that what may have formerly been isolated spikes are now turning into broader national trends. The findings, therefore, highlight an urgent need for more coordinated prevention strategies and more sustained investment in safety and security technologies tailored to the changing retail landscape.”
Melbourne recorded the most substantial increase of 81.6 per cent from 1,702 in 2023 to 3,091 in 2024.
Adelaide saw a 53.2 percent rise in retail crime within a 12-month period, with incidents growing from 1,154 to 1,768, despite efforts to address the issue. Adelaide experienced the second highest annual increase, yet it ranks fourth among state capitals for retail crime after Melbourne, Sydney, and Perth.
Sydney recorded a year-on-year surge of 5.4 percent, from 2,672 to 2,816 cases. Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data also shows that the region’s prison population is at its highest in five years.
Cobar in New South Wales is at the top of the list, reporting a 610.8 per cent surge in one year. Brewarrina, also in NSW, followed closely with a 601.5 percent rise. Mansfield in Victoria saw a 489.5 per cent increase, and Kiama in NSW experienced a 379.8 per cent jump in reported retail theft cases.
Additional local government areas that saw sharp increases are Golden Plains (293.6 per cent), Cabonne (249.6 per cent), and Surf Coast (229.5 per cent). Altogether, these numbers indicate that retail crime is expanding beyond urban centres into rural and regional areas, likely due to limited resources and criminals targeting lower-risk areas.
Meanwhile, Perth, once the city with the highest crime rates in Australia, recorded a notable drop in retail crime, from 3,166 to 2,363 incidents in the latest police report, reflecting the impact of the introduction of new shoplifting laws in the city.