A recent HortWeek survey of garden retailers found that only 10% had secured any convictions for shoplifting in last 3 years.
With interest from police patchy at best, it is falling to garden centres themselves to tackle the problem.
This week's HortWeek Podcast hears from James Evans from Ruxley Manor, Charlie Groves of Groves Garden Centre and Nathan Wilson from Blue Diamond Garden Centres to talk about why that is the case, how they are tackling shoplifters and whether the problem is getting worse.
They discuss the merits and success rates of various methods they've deployed ranging from the high tech (facial recognition, tagging and ANPR services) to more preventative approaches, including "giving great service to deter".
Wilson says garden centres have risen, in their appeal to shoplifters since the early phase of the Covid lockdown when they were one of the few shops besides supermarkets that were open at all.
Jellycats, toys, camping equipment, candles, tools, food and alcohol are the most stolen items with "opportunist" thieves responsible for most thefts, many of them in their 60s, 70s and 80s.
Groves says he believes the problem is growing with organised thieves prepared with as garden centres enter their most profitable time of year, Christmas stock only adds to the opportunities and temptations, for theft.
Don't miss a special HortWeek report into garden centre shoplifting published next week (9/11/26) - only at HortWeek.com
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