Shop theft costs society £3.4bn a year, says a study driven by the Centre of Retail Research and endorsed by the British Retail Consortium. The report by Professor Joshua Bamfield calculates almost half that figure represents the value of goods stolen from retailers each year. The greatest costs were £960m related to security staff and anti-theft equipment, and the £382m cost to police, courts and the criminal justice system. The findings suggest shop theft costs each UK taxpayer £116 a year.