Retailers are calling for the "urgent delivery" of a new plan to tackle shoplifting and the abuse of workers.
A dedicated Retail Crime Strategy, with targeted actions to reduce retail crime and support affected businesses, was pledged in the Programme for Government.
The Minister of State with responsibility for retail, Alan Dillon, has said the Government is aiming to have the strategy published within the first three months of next year.
Central Statistics Office data shows just under 33,000 recorded 'theft from shop' incidents nationwide, in the year to March, an increase of 3% on the same point last year.
Meanwhile provisional Garda figures, for the first half of this year, showed shop thefts in the Dublin region were up 7%.
Last year, 8,460 arrests and 20,052 charges or summonses were recorded under Operation Táirge, which was introduced in 2023 as part of efforts to tackle the problem.
Earlier this year, gardaí said more than 8,000 incidents of theft from shop were reported in the first three months of 2025, with nearly 2,000 arrests and more than 4,750 charges or summonses issued.
The Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association has previously estimated that retail crime costs retailers over of €1.62bn each year.
But shoplifting is not the only challenge, with businesses reporting a rise in incidents of retail workers being abused and threatened.
Nolan's of Clontarf in Dublin has experienced the full spectrum of retail crime, including 'organised retail crime'.
The Managing Director of the family-run independent supermarket said shoplifting is "certainly on the rise" and he said the incidence of physical and verbal abuse of workers has "gotten worse".
Richard Nolan said "the notion of organised gangs, organised criminality" has also increased.
"You get a group of people who are dropped into an area, and their instruction is to steal as much as they can possibly steal, in the shortest period of time," he added.
"A number of ladies came in and one managed to walk out with a large trolley of groceries. The second group, we caught in the act, but the first trolley disappeared, and there was several hundred euros involved in that."
Mr Nolan said those involved "seem to act with impunity" and he said there is "absolutely no deterrent".
Given the challenges being faced at times by workers, Circle K has taken the decision to roll out anti-aggression systems to act as deterrents.
The company operates hundreds of forecourt and convenience stores across the country.
In the event of an incident or anti-social behaviour at a premises, staff can activate a warning message over a speaker stating that CCTV cameras are in operation and that gardaí have been alerted.
Lights also flash on the CCTV cameras, which are linked back to a central control centre, where staff monitoring the footage can assist the shop workers through a tannoy system.
The Head of Health, Safety and Environment at Circle K, Mark Gannon, said "we’ve definitely seen an increase in harassment and threat towards our colleagues" since the Covid-19 pandemic.
"So much so, that we've had to invest in systems to protect our teams when they're working in a retail store," according to Mr Gannon.
He said across the Circle K network there are 84 locations with "an anti-aggression system that help our teams deal with and address cases of aggression within their stores".
"People come in, they can be very abusive, they can be very threatening towards our staff for very minor things, and then our staff have to deal with and manage those issues, then continue working in the store."
He said in rare incidents staff have been assaulted in the workplace and he said during robberies weapons have been produced, but rarely.
Mr Gannon called on the Government to "act now" on the Retail Crime Strategy.
"We've definitely seen an increase in gardaí in Dublin [city centre] but out in the suburbs and further out in the country, we need to see more gardaí on the streets," he said.
"The presence of gardaí really deters crime and without the presence of the gardaí, it's very difficult for the retailer to operate in that environment, and as a consequence of that, you see the increase of retail theft occurring."
He also said more deterrents are needed because he doesn’t believe the existing deterrents are as strong as they should be.
The Director of Retail Ireland, who wants the Retail Crime Strategy "delivered by the end of this year," said shoplifting and the abuse of workers is "a critical issue" for many businesses.
Arnold Dillon said the incidences of retail crime have increased by almost 50% over the last 10 years.
"I think what we saw was a really significant increase after Covid, and now it's become a really critical problem for retail businesses right across the country," said Mr Dillon.
He said there is "obviously very significant costs incurred by businesses due to the increase but also we've seen a really worrying and unfortunate increase in the level of staff abuse and harassment".
Mr Dillon said some "really important commitments" were made in the Programme for Government and he said it’s "now important that we get delivery".
"What we want to see is a Retail Crime Strategy delivered by the end of this year that will set out a whole range of different responses to address the problem, ranging from changes in the law to improving garda resources, so we can see a more visible presence on the ground, and also improved technology so we can better collaborate with businesses and the gardaí in terms of sharing information."
The Department of Justice said work has already commenced on preparing the Retail Crime Strategy.
In a statement, a spokesperson said suggestions from retailers are being considered in the context of the strategy’s development, with the plan due to be discussed at a meeting of the Retail Forum next month.
The spokesperson added that the Defamation Bill "will introduce a new statutory defence in cases of so-called 'retail defamation'".
"Once enacted, the provisions of the Bill dealing with 'retail defamation' will provide for a balancing of the rights of retailers and consumers, promote good practice among retailers and allow retailers to deal effectively with unwarranted claims."
The Minister of State for Employment, Small Business and Retail said the Government hopes to publish the new strategy within the first three months of next year.
Alan Dillon said retail crime is a "serious issue" and he said tackling the problem is "high on Government's agenda".
"It not only affects frontline workers and businesses, but also the communities they serve," said Mr Dillon.
"I have worked very extensively with Minister Jim O’Callaghan, the Department of Justice and An Garda Síochána to deliver on our Programme for Government commitment around the dedicated Retail Crime Strategy," he added.
Minister Dillon said the initiative will help to "deliver on actions, and we hope to publish the new Retail Crime Strategy in Q1 2026".
He said the plan is set to include increased garda visibility, protection for workers and supports for businesses.
"We also want to strengthen our cooperation with An Garda Síochána operations and also disrupt organised gangs that are linked to retail crime," added Mr Dillon.
