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Produced by the Sentencing Academy

Theft from a Shop

Snapshot 23

Bringing together relevant information, research findings and statistics relating to sentencing.

by Annalena Wolcke

Published: 1 Aug 2025
Last updated: Aug 2025

Overview

  • Sentencing Council guideline range: discharge to a 3-year prison sentence1
  • Maximum sentence: 7-years’ imprisonment (6-months maximum for shoplifting of goods worth £200 or less)
  • Convictions fell between 2015-2021, but have since increased. In the last year (2024), convictions rose by over 10,000 to more than 39,700 convictions.
  • This snapshot summarises key trends over the past 5 years

Sentences Imposed

Figure 1: Sentences for Shoplifting, 2020-2024

  • Over 26% of convictions resulted in a term of immediate imprisonment.2
  • A further 23% resulted in a community order.3

Figure 2: Sentences Imposed for Shoplifting, 2020-2024

  • The custody rate for shoplifting slightly increased over the last 5 years.

Immediate Prison Sentence Lengths

Figure 3: Prison Sentence Lengths, Shoplifting, 2020–2024

  • The most frequent sentence range is up to 2 months, accounting for 65% of all immediate custodial sentences.
  • Approximately 35% of prison sentences are over 2 months.

Sentencing Outcomes by Sex

Figure 4: Sentencing Outcomes by Sex, Shoplifting, 2020-2024

  • Female (n=32,664); Male (n=91,364)
  • Between 2020-2024, the custody rate for shoplifting was higher for men (29%) than for women (19%).

These rates do not account for various factors that influence sentencing decisions, such as the offender’s criminal history and the seriousness of the specific offence. Additional research would be needed to determine whether gender affected the sentence imposed.

This Snapshot is one of a series on sentencing trends in England & Wales. Others can be found here. For further information, contact Annalena Wolcke at a.wolcke@sentencingacademy.org.uk

  1. Official offence name: theft from a shop or stall ↩︎
  2. Data source for all figures: Criminal Justice Statistics Quarterly December 2024, published 15th of May 2025. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2024 ↩︎
  3. ‘Other sanctions’ include: absolute discharge, and the category ‘otherwise dealt with’ ↩︎