Hastings City Business Association manager Susan McDade said the number of retail thefts had actually decreased in the CBD over the last few years, but reporting was up.
City Assist community patrols and businesses working together to track down thieves had helped, she said.
"But it is still a very real problem... we just don't have the police we used to."
Retailers are already working to prevent and deter crime, but retail crime is growing, becoming more menacing and more violent
Ms McDade praised the efforts of community constable Deb Potter, however.
"She works very, very hard with retailers on shoplifting prevention."
Retail theft is just one of a number of non-violent crimes that have increased in Hawke's Bay since July 2014.
Burglaries (including unlawful entry and breaking and entering) and unlawful use of a motor vehicle also increased in Napier.
In Hastings, thefts excluding motor vehicles and thefts from cars also rose.
Napier MP and Labour party police spokesman Stuart Nash.Photo/Warren Buckland Labour police spokesman and Napier MP Stuart Nash said more police were needed on the frontline to combat petty crime.
"The police on the ground are way understaffed."
Robberies and violent crime remained low in the region, despite recent media attention.
Ms McDade said there was one robbery of a business in the CBD last year, but otherwise they had been lucky.
Former Eastern Police District Commander Sandra Venables said crime in Hawke's Bay had fallen since the end of last year.
All crime in Hastings fell to July 2016 levels in April, the last month for which data was available.
In Napier, however, crime remained higher than in December 2016.
Greg Harford of Retail NZ said retail crime cost the country $1 billion every year, and 10 per cent of these crimes involved violence.
"Retailers are already working to prevent and deter crime, but retail crime is growing, becoming more menacing and more violent."
Retail NZ has called for a special police taskforce for retail crime to be established.
That Government recently announced a $1.8 million package to help dairy owners pay for security and prevention measures.
This would only be available to the most at-risk dairies, and owners would have to pay half the cost themselves.
Mr Harford said this was a good start, but attitudes to petty crime needed to change as it was a gateway to more serious offending.
For more information on crime in your area, go to Herald Insights .
Police at a Napier dairy robbery in October. Photo/Paul Taylor