Corner shop owners are calling for government grant support for modern CCTV systems after a 57% rise in shoplifting incidents across Scotland in the last decade.
The Federation of Independent Retailers are calling on the Scottish Government to help its member shopkeepers curb the rise of retail theft, through direct financial support to upgrade ageing systems.
‘The Fed’ is urging political parties to commit to grants for CCTV that can capture higher-quality images and sound, and provide digital links to Police Scotland to make reporting easier.
It says the scheme could be modelled on the Scottish government’s Business Energy Scotland (BES) programme for small and medium-sized businesses, which is means-tested.
It argues that the cost for CCTV would be “considerably lower” than BES, which offers loans of up to £100,000 and cashback grants of up to £30,000.
Recent figures from the Scottish government show shoplifting in Scotland rose 57% over the past ten years (2015–16 to 2024–25). In the year to 2024–25 alone, incidents increased 16%, from 39,000 to 45,000, with a clear-up rate of just 49%.
The figures also recorded 11 serious assaults on retail workers under the Protection of Workers (Retail and Age Restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Act 2021 in 2024-25. There were 3,169 offences of threatening and abusive behaviour towards retail staff in the same period.
Hussan Lal, the Fed’s president in Scotland, said: “Soaring theft, assault and abuse in shops is absolutely terrifying but many of our members can’t afford to upgrade their CCTV. Quite frankly many have systems which in 2026 aren’t fit for purpose.
“Small shops are burdened with higher costs such as energy and employers’ national insurance contributions. A £6,500 upgrade is simply beyond their reach.”
