Four people have been charged in a police operation targeting retail theft in Goulburn.

NSW police say Operation Percentile uses an intelligence-led approach to identify and disrupt repeat retail crime offenders.

On December 17 they swooped on the Goulburn shopping precinct from 9am to 6pm.

During the operation, two people were arrested, four people charged, there were seven shoplifting infringements issued, 18 people searched, three drug detections and seven banning notices served.

At about 5pm, a store employee  alerted police after allegedly sighting a woman stealing a number of items and placing them into a pink bag. The 24-year-old woman was arrested and charged with shoplifting. She was granted conditional bail to appear in Goulburn local Court on January 20.

Earlier in the day police stopped a 43-year-old woman  and seized items that had been allegedly stolen, including meat, biscuits and cheese as well as 2.02g methylamphetamine, 0.4g amphetamine and 0.94g cannabis. She was charged with  shoplifting and three counts of possessing a prohibited drug.