Shoplifting by young people and threats against shop workers are seen as the biggest current risks to retailers, with businesses urged to report every incident.
The warning was raised during a Business Crime Partnership meeting hosted by police and crime commissioner Donna Jones at IKEA in Southampton.
Retail security leaders described youth-related disorder as a major concern across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
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Ms Jones said: "Shoplifting is not a victimless crime, while the threats and abuse being faced by shop workers are simply unacceptable.
"These offences have a major impact on the staff and the viability of many businesses.
"The constructive feedback from these meetings helps us to ensure retailers and police are working together to tackle the key issues."
Nationally, the British Retail Consortium estimates that just eight per cent of shoplifting incidents are reported to the police.
Its 2025 Retail Crime Report revealed a 50 per cent rise in violence and abuse toward shop workers between 2024 and 2025, equating to more than 2,000 incidents daily across the UK.
Ms Jones stressed the importance of reporting every instance of retail crime.
She said: "It is no good if these incidents are not reported to police.
"We want the police to take action, but to do so, the retailers must report, report, report.
"Theft of goods as well as violence towards shop workers are not tolerable – which is why I have made tackling retail crime one of the key priorities for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary."
She also highlighted the impact of the UKPAC app, describing it as a faster, simpler way for businesses to report retail crime.
Ms Jones said: "UKPAC has directly led to over 130 convictions and more than 2,000 hours of police time being saved from compiling crime reports.
"This gives officers more time to be on the frontline tackling these sorts of crimes."
Since its launch in June 2025, the UK Partners Against Crime (UKPAC) platform has helped secure charges against 131 offenders, 10 Community Behaviour Orders, and more than 55 years of custodial sentences.
The digital platform gives retailers the ability to upload digital images and file crime reports more easily – while it provides police information from which they can link offences to prolific offenders.
Retailers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight can access 12 months of free UKPAC membership, funded by the PCC.
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