The 44-year-old man from Rowley Regis has been arrested after more than 25 shop thefts in Rowley Regis and Halesowen.
He remains in custody for questioning.
More than £1,300 worth of items have been stolen in the series of thefts.
A spokesperson for West Midlands Police said: “We’re catching hundreds more suspected shop thieves in the West Midlands as we continue to act against retail crime across the region.
“Arrests for shop theft offences have risen over 60% in the last two years as we’ve improved the way we respond to crime reports.
“Sandwell South has its own dedicated retail crime team that identify prolific offenders and bring them to justice.”
For crime prevention advice on shop theft visit www.westmidlands.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/keeping-business-safe-from-crime/how-secure-is-your-shop/