Kenyan retailers suffered losses worth Sh12.82 million in September 2026 as shoplifting, staff theft and other security incidents continued to weigh on businesses, with reported cases rising by more than 100 per cent in a single month.
Data from Viglant’s September 2026 Retail Loss Brief shows that 1,615 incidents were reported during the month, a 109.5 per cent increase from August.
The value of the losses climbed by 1,453.9 per cent over the same period, pointing to a sharp rise in the financial impact of retail crime.
The report, prepared through shared retail risk intelligence initiatives involving the Retail Trade Association of Kenya (RETRAK), highlights the need for businesses to improve theft prevention and exchange information to help address security threats across the sector.
Shoplifting was the leading source of reported incidents, accounting for 1,507 cases with a combined value of Sh779,151. Although most cases involved goods worth relatively small amounts, the high number of incidents continued to expose retailers to repeated stock losses.
The brief found that shoplifting incidents involving items valued below Sh500 accounted for 25.9 per cent of the reported value in that category. This points to the cumulative effect of frequent, low-value thefts, which can create an ongoing burden for businesses even when individual losses appear small.
Nairobi had the highest number of reported incidents, with 427 cases, representing 26.4 per cent of the total. Mombasa followed with 285 incidents, or 17.6 per cent.
The two counties recorded a combined 712 cases, accounting for 44 per cent of the incidents captured by the reporting network. Their figures placed them at the centre of retail crime activity documented during the month.
Kiambu recorded 88 cases, while Nakuru had 81 and Kajiado registered 58. A further 676 incidents were reported in other areas, making up 41.9 per cent of the total.
In its assessment of the risk levels across different locations, Viglant classified Nairobi as a high-value risk area and Mombasa as a high-volume hotspot. Kiambu and Nakuru were placed in the mid-level risk category, while Kajiado was identified as an emerging risk location.
The concentration of cases in major urban markets poses a challenge for retailers operating multiple branches. Businesses must distribute security personnel, surveillance systems and stock-monitoring measures across their outlets while ensuring that individual stores remain adequately protected.
Afternoon and evening trading hours recorded the highest risk.
The report found that 41.9 per cent of incidents occurred between 2pm and 8.59pm, making this period the most vulnerable for retailers.
Thursday recorded the highest number of cases for a single day, with 358 incidents. Weekends also accounted for a large share of the reports, with 513 cases, representing 31.8 per cent of the monthly total.
During the morning period, between 8am and 11.59am, retailers recorded 349 incidents, equivalent to 21.6 per cent of all reported cases.
The findings suggest that retailers could strengthen their response by directing more staff to shop floors, increasing supervision and improving exit checks during periods when incidents are more frequent. Aligning security arrangements with the reported patterns could help businesses use their resources more effectively.
The brief also highlighted cases involving minors, recording 235 incidents, equivalent to 14.6 per cent of the total. It recommends stronger safeguarding procedures and appropriate follow-up measures when young people are involved.
In addition, the report calls for targeted action against high-value theft involving goods worth more than Sh2,000, indicating that retailers need to address both repeated low-value losses and theft involving more expensive merchandise.
Beyond shoplifting and other reported security incidents, the assessment examined customer handling at retail outlets to identify possible sources of lost sales.
Mystery-shopping exercises recorded a 16 per cent customer redirection rate, based on 20 observed redirections during 125 visits. The findings point to outlets that may require further investigation to establish whether customers are being redirected in ways that cause sales to be lost before checkout.
The rise in reported losses comes as retailers continue to face pressure to contain operating expenses while maintaining affordable prices, dependable services and sustainable employment.
RETRAK said losses and security concerns have a direct bearing on the efficiency, profitability and long-term sustainability of businesses across the retail sector.
“Rising losses place additional pressure on operating costs, consumer prices, employment and the overall sustainability of retail businesses,” the association said.
The September findings underline the challenge facing retailers as they seek to protect merchandise, improve security across their outlets and manage the financial effects of theft and other forms of retail crime.