Retail crime in Australia surges

Weapons-related retail crime rose 66% in 2024.

Retail crime in Australia surged in 2024, with incidents involving weapons jumping 66% year-on-year and violent or threatening events escalating nationwide.

There is a 40% rise in retail crime incidents involving knives and blades, alongside a 30% increase in violent or serious events, as per figures from crime-reporting software Auror. Threatening incidents spiked by 39%. Victoria recorded the sharpest rise, with violent retail crimes up 38% and threatening incidents soaring 52%.

Auror Senior Director of Trust & Safety Nick McDonnell said retail crime is becoming more violent and organised. “What’s confronting is, about one in four retail crime events last year involved some form of violence, intimidation, threats, physical or verbal abuse,” he said. 

He noted that organised crime groups and repeat offenders caused the most damage, with just 10% of offenders responsible for over 60% of total harm and financial loss.

National Retail Association (NRA) Interim CEO Lindsay Carroll said policymakers must prioritise the issue and provide retailers and police with the right tools. “Criminals have become bolder, and our system needs to keep up; this includes leaning into technology-based solutions that can deal with this challenge at scale.”

Australian Retailers Association (ARA) Chief Industry Affairs Officer Fleur Brown also called for stronger penalties and sustained support. “Retail crime has a profound and lasting impact on frontline retail staff and in some instances, customers. Everyone has a right to feel safe while at work or shopping.

Weapons-related retail crime rose 66% in 2024. Knife-related incidents increased 40%, making up over 50% of all weapon events. Violent or serious events climbed 30%, and threatening incidents jumped 39%. One in 10 retail crime events were violent, while one in four involved violence, intimidation, or abuse. In contrast, New Zealand saw a smaller rise, with weapons-related crime up 10%, serious incidents up 11%, and threatening events increasing 14%.

Industry leaders warned that without stronger government intervention, retail workers and customers will remain at risk.