The Association of Convenience Stores(ACS) revealed in its report that theft cases from convenience stores in the United Kingdom increased five times in 2023 from the year before, setting their highest record yet.
 
"Findings from the 2023 Crime Report show that the theft index has reached new record levels," the association stated. 
 
According to the ACS's statistics, 5.6 million theft cases took place in 2023, which is more than five times 2022's number of 1.1 million incidents. It added that most reported stolen items involved meat, alcohol, and confectionery, while the average loss of each store was about 5,000 pounds ($6,336).
 
The ACS, which acts for 49,000 convenience stores in the UK, added that the number of documented brutal theft cases in UK convenience stores has risen from 41,000 in 2022 to around 76,000 cases in 2023. 
 
It stated that this expansion in theft is related to drug or alcohol addiction and organized crime. 
 
The UK retail chain Co-op stated earlier that it was utilizing artificial intelligence technology in its stores to fight the growing number of thefts and attacks on employees.

Economic recession and fake promises

On February 15 it was revealed that in the second half of 2023, the UK's economy slipped into a recession, constituting a low blow for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who had constantly sold the nation the promise of amplifying growth if he gets reelected.

During the last quarter of 2023, the UK's gross domestic product reached an unexpected and worse-than-predicted 0.3% contraction, compared to the forecasted 0.1% economists calculated in a poll by Reuters, as well as the 0.1% shrinkage witnessed in the previous quarter. This signified the lowest drop in the UK since Covid-19 hit the global economy.

Reportedly, this was because of the manufacturing, construction, and wholesale sectors.

GDP per person in the UK, on the other hand, had not seen any growth since 2022, indicating the longest stagnance in over four decades.