Stockport and Greater Manchester have seen an increase in shoplifting arrests this year as police continue to clamp down on retail crime.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has reported a 13 percent increase in the number of shoplifting arrests this year, with 4,091 arrests in the last 12 months, compared with 3,638 in the 12 months prior.

Police also solved 6,828 shoplifting crimes overall in the year leading up to September 2026 - a near seven-fold increase on the same statistic in 2021, which saw 993 shoplifting crimes solved.

GMP said the uptick marks "an ever-improving approach to retail crime".

"This 586 percent increase is thanks to the dedication and hard-work of our policing teams across the force", GMP said, "led strongly by neighbourhood officers who put countless hours into supporting businesses and retailers in their areas."

Police have been increasing patrols around town centres and also engage regularly with local shops and businesses.

The force also has a centralised Initial Investigation Unit which manages thousands of retail crime reports.

The unit investigates and finalises the cases to free up officers for operational work.

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Chief Inspector Paul Nolan said: "The ever-increasing figures speak for themselves; GMP has zero tolerance for shoplifting and retail crimes.

"The thousands of arrests and charges are testament to the hard work of officers who are dedicated to their areas, working with businesses, and building strong, long-lasting partnerships.

"As teams across Greater Manchester take part in Safer Business Action Week, I want to stress to businesses and retailers that we are on your side – if you have any issues, please speak to your local neighbourhood policing team."