Co-op shops lock up meat worth as little as £3.75 in security boxes as managers try to ‘deter shoplifting’
- Meat ranging from £3.75 to £8.50 locked up in boxes on shelves in Wimbledon
- Read more: Shocking moment ‘meat thief’ is tackled with suitcase of raw beef
Cuts of beef worth just £3.75 have been spotted in locked boxes on Co-op shelves to try to deter shoplifting.
The bizarre security policy in a Wimbledon Co-op sees £5.50 ribeye steaks, £7.50 Hereford fillet steaks, £4.75 rump steaks, and a joints of beef kept under lock and key.
The meat products are inside clear, plastic boxes with magnetic locks on the front.
But it was only beef products locked away at the south west London store, with no chicken, fish or pork items enshrined in the plastic safes.
It’s understood some Co-op stores have been selected to trial new theft deterrent measures from time-to-time, and the locked boxes aren’t a UK-wide policy.
Only beef products had been protected with the transparent plastic boxes at the Co-op in Wimbledon
Some Co-op stores have been selected to trial new theft deterrent measures from time-to-time, including introducing the plastic boxes and GPS trackers
As it varies from store-to-store, individual shop managers can select items most-prone to theft to be included in the deterrent trials.
Last week it was reported by Nottinghamshire Live that a Co-op in Mapperly had also introduced more security measures, including what looked to be GPS trackers.
Packets of bacon could be seen in transparent plastic security boxes, with a ‘caution’ message reminded customers that the GPS trackers needed to be removed at the checkout.
Meat worth just £3.75 had been placed in the sealed plastic containers in the Nottinghamshire shop.
The boxes and security measures are typically used for high-value products, although it is understood that managers can use their own discretion to protect items on sale.
According to T-Class Security, the most shoplifted items in the UK are toiletries and hygiene products, fresh produce including meat, fruit and vegetables and baby formula.
The website states: ‘Sadly, these items are sometimes stolen by individuals who are struggling to cope due to tough financial pressures.
Boxes and security measures are typically used for high-value products but individual managers can choose to add extra measures
The bizarre security policy in a Wimbledon Co-op see £5.50 ribeye steaks, £7.50 Hereford fillet steaks, £4.75 rump steaks, and a joints of beef under lock and key
‘However, organised criminal gangs also often steal these products to sell them on for profit.’
Anecdotal evidence from shop bosses reported in The Grocer last year said cases of shoplifting were rising.
Stats from the Office For National Statistics (ONS) showed 89 per cent of the UK’s adult population had seen their cost of living increase dramatically.
Inflation has forced 16 million people to cut back on spending for food and other everyday essentials.
Other meat products, including chicken, lamb and pork, were not put in security boxes in the south west London shop
The prices of the cuts of beef that had been placed in the locked boxes ranged from just £3.75 to £8.50
Meanwhile Shopfloor Insights’ Bryan Roberts said reports of organised theft were ‘off the charts’ in 2022.
A Co-op spokesman said: ‘Co-op has been involved in a small scale trial of new packaging for higher value products in order to deter theft for a number of years.
‘We remain keen to trial new deterrents and, store managers are empowered to select products which might be prone to theft locally. It is not a UK-wide policy
‘Safety and security is always a key priority and crime can be a flash point for violence and abuse faced by shop workers. Co-op has also successfully campaigned for stricter sentences for violent incidents against retail workers.’
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