The John Lewis Partnership (JLP) said it is facing a £12 million jump in the cost of shoplifting as bosses at the retail giant blamed a surge in organised crime.

Dame Sharon White, chairwoman of the department store owner, told reporters that the recent spate in shoplifting at stores was driven by “crime groups” rather than thefts linked to the soaring cost of living.

The boss said she met with Sir Mark Rowley, commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, earlier this week to discuss shoplifting.

The retailer called on the Government to change legislation in the England and Wales to make it a criminal offence to abuse shopworkers, in line with current rules in Scotland.

Last month, the group’s supermarket arm Waitrose said it was offering free tea and coffee to police officers in an effort to boost their presence around stores.

The company said it mainly saw a rise in the cost of crime due to theft, as well as “related wastage”.

Ms White said: “Like other retailers, we have seen more activity linked to organised crime.

“We have raised the issue because the safety of our staff is incredibly important, as a business we also feel this is an important issue from a societal point of view.”

German discount supermarket chain Lidl said separately on Thursday that it was stepping up investment in store security amid increasing rates of shoplifting, by ramping up CCTV coverage and rolling out more body-worn cameras in its outlets.

Ryan McDonnell, chief executive of Lidl’s British business, said it was a “social issue” that the industry is working together to address.

He said: “There’s no doubt that it’s affecting the whole industry and we are not immune to it.

“The safety and security of our workers is a priority.

“We are working with the British Retail Consortium with the rest of our competitors in the sector coming together to look at how we can tackle it.

“We welcome the engagement from the Government and the police.”