Shoplifting incidents rose sharply on Halloween this year, according to new analysis from SAI, a leading active intelligence solution for stores, highlighting the increased retail crime risk associated with major seasonal trading events.

The increase comes as Halloween continues to grow as a major retail event. Adoption among shoppers is rising, with an estimated 78% of families thought to have celebrated the occasion this weekend and consumer spending expected to have risen +6% year-on-year to £705million.

Separate insights from Sensormatic suggested footfall on Halloween rose +29% versus 2025 and that was on top of a +4.6% year-on-year rise in 2025.

Data from the SAI One Platform, which analyses insight from more than 1,000 UK retail locations and inputs from over 30,000 cameras every day, showed that the number of incidents of retail theft rose +163% year-on-year on Halloween (Sat 31 Oct, 2026).

The timing of Halloween – falling on a Saturday, often one of the highest risk days for retail loss – is thought to have amplified the number of instances of theft compared to last year when the event landed on a Friday. However, SAI’s data also showed a rise in week-on-week shoplifting of +8%.

Theft peaked between 11am and 12noon on Saturday (31 Oct, 2026), while London remained the biggest Halloween hotspot for retail crime (61%), followed by the South East (18%) and the South West (10%).

“Halloween’s growing popularity is creating opportunities not only for retailers, but also for offenders, as seasonal trading peaks become targeted periods for heightened retail crime,” said Clare Hoole, Head of UK at SAI.

“What’s increasingly evident is that theft is evolving. Many incidents now occur within otherwise legitimate transactions, making them harder to identify and prevent through traditional methods or passive in-store surveillance systems.”

Partial payment, where a customer only pays for part of their basket while intentionally leaving other items unpaid, was the most common type of shoplifting experienced by retailers on Halloween, accounting for 62% of incidents, followed by grab-and-go (38%), according to SAI’s analysis.

“Halloween is often the first real test of peak-season operations. The trends observed this year suggest retailers should expect theft pressure to remain elevated throughout the Golden Quarter,” Hoole added. “And what we’re already seeing play out in-store reinforces the importance of real-time visibility in allowing retailers to prepare, prevent and react as they enter the busiest trading period of the year.”

The findings provide an early indication of the loss prevention challenges retailers are likely to face as footfall continues to build from Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM) through to Christmas.

Looking ahead to the rest of the Golden Quarter, SAI’s analysis forecasts that Super Saturday (19 Dec), the last Saturday before Christmas – and often one of the busiest in-store trading days of the festive season – will be the biggest day for retail crime, with shoplifting expected to surge +66% year-on-year.