Rebel owner Super Retail Group latest retailer to call out higher rates of shoplifting

Rebel and Supercheap Auto owner Super Retail Group is the latest retailer to call out rising rates of shoplifting, telling criminals to “find alternative employment”.

The company blamed elevated stock loss, or rising theft, for a 50 basis-point decline in gross margins to 45.6 per cent in the 2025 financial year, particularly at its fitness and sporting goods chain Rebel.

SRG chief executive Anthony Heraghty on Thursday told investors as it unveiled full-year results that the retailer had experienced a “significant step up in stock loss activity during the period”. The problem was prevalent in Victoria, Mr Heraghty said.

“We’re no longer dealing with the teenagers stealing a pair of tracksuit pants in the change room,” Mr Heraghty said.

“Rather, this is a much more sustained and systemic problem, and I encourage those involved with it to find alternative employment.”

Mr Heraghty was also concerned about the safety of his staff, who are facing increasing assaults from shoplifters as they fled the shopfloor.

“The jump up (in crime) is a significant anti-social, structural theft that’s impacting a number of stores and quite frankly we’re not alone,” he said.

“It is not a kid shoving a t-shirt in the bag, it’s someone grabbing a rack of tennis rackets and then selling them on (an online) marketplace.”

His comments come as the nation’s retailers grapple with a sustained spike in crime since COVID-19, with stolen stock found to be costing companies $9 billion a year.

The Australian Retailers Association and the National Retail Association have already put crime on the agenda of Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ economic reform roundtable happening this week.

As to what measures were being put in place to manage theft, Mr Heraghty told The Nightly it was installing physical barriers “to manage high-speed exits”, trialling body cameras on some team members aimed at de-escalating confrontations, and slapping security tags on merchandise.

SRG is behind other big box outlets BCF and Macpac, with a combined store network of 782 in the 2025 financial year after opening 31 new locations.

The ASX-listed company posted record annual revenue of $4.1b in the year ended June 28, up 4.5 per cent from a year ago. But statutory net profit slumped 8 per cent from a year earlier, coming in at $222 million.

BCF was the stand-out performer, with sales growing 7.9 per cent to $951m thanks to network expansion and favourable weather conditions during peak periods also supported growth.

Rebel reported sales growth of 4.8 per cent to $1.4b with strong contributions from footwear and licensed apparel, women’s apparel and fitness tech. Sporting equipment categories returned to growth after a period of consolidation post the COVID-19 period.

But Supercheap Auto was a group laggard at only a 2.1 per cent rise, noting competitive intensity was elevated throughout the year, particularly in the first half.

SRG will pay out a final fully franked dividend of 34¢ a share, plus a special dividend of 30¢ a share, also fully franked.

SRG shares jumped 13.4 per cent to $18.84 just before midday.