Jewellery store security has had to keep pace with a sharp change in how raiders operate in 2026, and the numbers behind it are stark. Safer Gems, the industry monitoring initiative tracking crime against jewellers and watch retailers, recorded ten armed robberies in the UK in the first three months of 2026 alone, up from just one in the same period the year before, with total losses of £3.2 million against roughly £60,000 over the equivalent period in 2025. Armed attacks now account for more than half of all reported incidents, a marked shift from the smash-and-grab pattern that dominated the sector in previous years.
What has changed most notably is geography. The pattern that ran through Hatton Garden and other central London jewellers earlier in the year has since spread well beyond the capital, with sledgehammer attacks in Richmond, an armed raid in Hoddesdon and a daylight smash-and-grab on a Leeds watch retailer. Retailers who assumed high-value crime was a London-specific risk are now having to reassess that view.
Why gold and watches specifically, and why now
Safer Gems has linked the rise directly to precious metal prices. Gold and silver are easier to melt down, harder to trace once altered, and command a high resale value relative to the physical bulk a raider needs to carry away, making jewellery and watch stock a disproportionately attractive target compared with most other retail goods. That economic driver is unlikely to reverse quickly, which means the current wave of raids should be treated as a structural risk for the sector rather than a temporary spike that will fade on its own.
What jewellers outside London should be reviewing now
Retailers in towns that have not historically seen this level of targeting should not wait for a local incident before reviewing physical security. The basics that reduced losses for London jewellers earlier in the year, laminated or reinforced glass rated against sledgehammer and hammer attacks, delayed-opening safes for high-value stock overnight, and a visible retail security presence during trading hours, are equally relevant to a standalone shop in a market town as to a Bond Street boutique. Rapid-response protocols matter as much as the physical measures themselves: raids of this type are typically over within 60 to 90 seconds, meaning security investment should focus on delay and deterrence rather than an assumption that staff or police can intervene during the raid itself.
ITV News’ reporting on the scale of the problem and Safer Gems’ own industry alerts are useful starting points for any jeweller assessing where they now sit on the risk map.
Insurers are already adjusting to the new pattern, and several have begun asking pointed questions about physical security specification before renewing cover for jewellers outside traditional high-crime areas, not just those in central London. A store that can demonstrate rated glazing, monitored alarms and a documented staff response plan is typically in a stronger position at renewal than one relying on standard shopfront glass and an assumption that raids happen elsewhere. Staff training matters as much as the physical fabric of the shop: clear guidance on what to do, and what not to do, in the seconds a raid is actually happening reduces the risk of injury without requiring staff to intervene physically.
Need a security review?
If your store is reviewing physical security, staffing or overnight protocols in light of the current wave of raids, our team is happy to help. Call us on 020 3700 0967, email info@secureonsitesecurity.co.uk, or visit our contact page. Related services:
- Retail security for jewellers, watch retailers and other high-value stores.
- Security guard hire for trading-hours coverage.
- Manned guarding for overnight and out-of-hours protection.
With armed robberies against jewellers now spreading well beyond London, jewellery store security is no longer a big-city concern, and retailers everywhere should be reviewing their exposure before, not after, it reaches their own high street.
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