One example of this approach is a new criminal intelligence platform called Auror, which allows retailers to report directly to police to combat widespread shoplifting.
Hertfordshire Police, one of three forces currently using Auror, were able to arrest two shoplifters at a shopping park in Stevenage using the tool.
The men were involved in dozens of thefts from Boots stores across the country.
This kind of information sharing is key to the work of the Staffordshire Business Crime Partnership, which provides registered retailers with updated information on known offenders.
Paul Greenhow, who runs the scheme, said: “I think it’s sadly already partly accepted that stores will lose stock.
“For us, it’s saying, ‘No, this is unacceptable, we need to do something about it.’
From the government’s perspective, Jones said the slight decline in reported shoplifting compared to last year indicated the country had “turned that corner.”
But she added: “We all know we have a lot more to do and a lot more to do.”
Additional reporting by Claude Stenson, Nicola Rees, Lee Bottomley and Tony Fisher
