Business theft among Australian small businesses has surged 20% in 2025 compared with the same period last year, according to new BizCover data.
The Business Theft Report 2025 analysed theft claims lodged by small and medium-sized enterprises between January 2022 and August 2025. The findings reveal clear patterns in who is being targeted, what’s being stolen and where incidents are most common. From cafes to salons, small business owners are counting the cost as thieves strike more often and with greater boldness – a trend experts say reflects rising financial pressures and opportunistic crime.
Food and drink businesses top the list of most stolen-from sectors, making up 28% of all theft claims. Retail follows at 23%, and beauty ranks third at 12%. Together, these three sectors account for more than half of all reported thefts.
Victoria records the highest share of business theft claims at around 40%, followed by Queensland (23%) and New South Wales (18%). At postcode level, Forestdale (QLD) ranks first, with Werribee and Deer Park in Victoria close behind.
Sharon Kenny, Head of Marketing at BizCover, says the figures highlight how theft is becoming a growing operational risk for small businesses.
“Theft is hitting small businesses when they can least afford it,” Kenny says. “We’re hearing from café owners who arrive to find their tills emptied and tradies who wake up to find their tools gone. It’s the kind of setback that can wipe out a week’s earnings for a small operator.”
When it comes to what thieves are taking, cash remains the top target, appearing in one in five theft claims (20%). Tools come next at 11%, followed by cash registers, jewellery and tech devices such as phones and laptops. Among the more surprising stolen items were picnic tables, mannequins and $90,000 worth of collectible trading cards.
“The range of items being stolen shows how opportunistic thieves can be,” Kenny says. “Anything portable and valuable is at risk, no matter the size or location of the business.”
The data also shows when thefts are most likely to happen. Monday is the most common day, followed by Thursday, while September has historically been the peak month. On average, businesses take 24 days to lodge a claim after an incident, indicating that many don’t realise something is missing right away.
“Delays in reporting show how easily theft can go unnoticed,” Kenny says. “Being proactive with security checks and training staff to spot red flags can help prevent a minor incident from turning into a major loss. Awareness is a business’s first line of defence.”
Melbourne tradie-turned-business owner Mick Owar knows the toll of business theft firsthand. While working in the trades, he was robbed twice in two years – once after thieves broke into his work truck, and again when the same vehicle was emptied overnight. The losses totalled several thousand dollars in tools and equipment, forcing him to rebuild slowly and rethink how he operated. “Being a tradie in Australia doesn’t just mean long hours anymore – it means having a literal target on your car,” he says. Now running his sports recovery business in Melbourne, Mick says the experience made him more vigilant about protecting both his physical and digital assets.
Read the full Business Theft Report 2025 here: https://www.bizcover.com.au/business-theft-report/
[Source BizCover]
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