Greggs makes major change amid shoplifting rise

Wales Online

20-05-2025

Greggs makes major change amid shoplifting rise
The customer experience is about to become a lot less independent
The beloved franchise is trying to clamp down on shoplifters
(Image: GETTY )
Greggs customers might notice a major change that feels like their favourite products are disappearing. However, they can rest assured their sandwiches, drinks and other snacks are still there, just more hidden away.
The bakery chain is trying to curtail the rise in shoplifting. The staggering increase in thievery has seen many high street stores and supermarkets clamping down on security or even changing their checkout procedures.
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Greggs will be removing their self-serve fridges and placing these products, like sandwiches and drinks, behind the counter with the rest of their baked goods.
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This new policy will mean customers now have to get the help of a shop assistant to hand over their items instead of being able to quickly grab it themselves.
Customers that are used to popping in and quickly grabbing their items will now have to wait in line first. The new measures will be trialled out at only five stores that have been particularly exposed to anti-social behaviour.
This will include those in Whitechapel, Peckham and Ilford. The BBC reported it's not expected for these measures to be rolled into all 2,600 Greggs bakeries across the UK.
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But it could make an appearance in other sites facing high levels of theft. A Greggs spokesperson told the Independent: 'This is one of a number of initiatives we are trialling across a handful of shops which are exposed to higher levels of anti-social behaviour.
'Customers can expect to see our full range of great value and tasty Greggs favourites available from behind the counter. The safety of our colleagues and customers remains our number one priority.'
The Office for National Statistics noted that in 2024, shoplifting offences rose by 20%. This marks 516,971 instances of shoplifting reported to the police.
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However, the number of thefts retailers recorded last year were far higher, hitting more than 20 million according to the British Retail Consortium. Some have reported being targeted by organised gangs.
These shoplifters work in teams, communicating through Bluetooth headsets to trigger alarms and create distractions. Thus allowing their fellow shoplifters to escape.
Shoplifting incidents have been steadily rising since a sharp spike appeared during the pandemic. This was attributed to the higher cost of living that started to skyrocket at the time.
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But it's not the same shoplifters that are being caught nowadays. John Nussbaum, director of service for retail at Kingdom Security, explained that a worrying number of thieves are now over the state pension age.
He explained: 'For us over the last 12 months, we've got this different level of crime now. We're now experiencing something different - pensioners, people who don't normally shoplift.'
It's become a crime of necessity as the security expert noted: 'We've seen a massive increase in pensioners shoplifting, putting a jar of coffee in their bag and one in the trolley, that sort of thing. We've had instances of mothers caught shoplifting when they're with their kids."