Farm shops warned as rural crime hits nine in 10 retailers

Farm shops are being warned to review security after new NFU Mutual research found rural retailers are facing repeated crime, staff abuse and heavy financial losses.

A survey commissioned by the insurer found that nine in 10 rural retail stores had been hit by crime in the past 12 months.

NFU Mutual said the findings showed the scale of the threat facing rural businesses, including farm shops, many of which operate from remote locations.

The financial impact has been significant, with retailers surveyed saying crime had cost them an average of £83,490 over the past year. One in 20 said crime had set their business back by more than £500,000 over the same period.

Repeat offences were also common, with only 5% of affected rural retailers saying they had experienced a single incident in the last 12 months.

Almost a quarter said they had been targeted more than six times during the year, equivalent to more than once every other month.

The survey also found that staff were being put at risk, with 46% of affected businesses reporting verbal abuse against staff.

A quarter said employees had been physically assaulted, while one in 10 said staff had been attacked with weapons.

The findings also pointed to internal theft as a concern, with almost a third of affected businesses reporting that goods or cash had been stolen by an employee.

Rural retailers are now spending heavily to protect their premises, stock and staff, with almost one in five saying they had spent more than £20,000 improving security over the last 12 months.

More than a fifth said they now had full-time physical security on the door, while the most common measures introduced included CCTV, warning signs and security tagging.

Zoe Knight, head of commercial at NFU Mutual, said the insurer had seen the impact of rural crime on businesses and communities.

“We know first-hand the pain and disruption criminals cause our rural communities and retailers with these callous acts,” she said.

She said farm shops were particularly vulnerable because of their location and close links to local communities.

“Farm shops are often family-run operations and embedded into the local communities,” Ms Knight said.

“They have sadly been targeted in the past – and continue to be so – due to their remote locations, so it is vital that owners take all necessary and appropriative preventative steps to try and deter thieves.”

Ms Knight said the survey showed rural retailers were making major efforts to protect themselves, both physically and financially.

She added that practical steps such as limiting high-value items on display, securing stock, reducing cash takings and using mirrors to reduce blind spots could help lower the risk.

“Small steps like limiting the number of high-value items on display, securing stock in a secure area, minimising cash takings, and adding mirrors to the store to reduce blind spots can all help,” she said.

NFU Mutual also said good quality locks, alarms, CCTV, shutters and bars on doors could help protect businesses against break-ins.

The research was based on a survey of 600 retail decision makers carried out by OnePoll in March 2026.

NFU Mutual is urging farm shops to review their security, protect staff and report suspicious activity as rural retail crime continues to affect businesses across the countryside.