Sainsbury's customers 'deeply resent' upgrade to self-service checkouts
The new tills record shoppers as they scan their items, then playback video clips where you've failed to scan a barcode properly.
Customers will receive a warning, stating: 'It looks like that last item didn't scan. Please check you scanned it correctly before continuing.'
On social media, one disgruntled shopper called the move 'more big brother tactics with more surveillance' while others called for a boycott.
The update has been introduced in a bid to tackle the rising problem of shoplifting faced by supermarkets.
Recent data from the Office for National Statistics shows that the number of shoplifting offences in England and Wales rose by 20% last year.
A total of 516,971 offences were recorded, compared to 429,873 in 2023. In London alone, offences rose from 58,000 to nearly 90,000 in 2024.
The rising cost of living will explain some incidences, but Metro recently spoke to 'casual kleptos' who can afford food, but feel entitled to steal from big businesses.
Matilda, 25, from London, told us: 'I'll take things that are quite small and will go in my bag. Like cheese or halloumi or toothpaste. Just things that are quite small but kind of expensive.
'I like to give myself three for two deals. I'll pay for two things and steal one.'
Cases like this add up though. Crime cost retailers £4.2 billion last year, according to data from Grocery Gazette. That figure includes £2.2bn from shoplifting losses and a further £1.8bn spent on crime prevention measures, such as CCTV, additional security personnel, anti-theft devices and body worn cameras.
Interestingly, grocer chain Booths pledged to remove its self-service checkouts last year to improve customer satisfaction and tackle losses. MD Nigel Murray recently said the reversal has actually caused a reduction in theft, because so-called 'middle-class' shoplifters had been incorrectly scanning or weighing goods, sometimes inadvertently.
Author and social commentator Carl Vernon recently posted a YouTube video about the new Sainsbury's checkouts to his 51,000 subscribers.
One viewer, @TheRailwayTourManager, accused the supermarket of punishing 'law abiding members of the public'.
'It's like a bad manager at work, who, because ONE person has done something they shouldn't, everyone gets tarred with the same brush and has some sort of restriction or sanction imposed on them,' he said. 'Deal with the person causing the issue, not make everyone else suffer for something they didn't do!' More Trending
User @_indrid_cold_ went as far as calling for a boycott, saying: 'I would never dream of stealing, but I detest and deeply resent what's happening now in supermarkets.
'I just wish that the public could be a bit more organised and properly boycott them until they get the message and take their intrusive spyware away.'
Dozens of commenters said they refuse to use self-service checkouts full stop, with @lairdkilbarchan joking: 'Sainsbury's should offer a bonus for shoppers who also stack their own shelves. Do a pallet of beans and double your points!'
Sainsbury's did not respond directly to the criticism of the new tills, but a spokesperson told Metro: 'We regularly review the security measures in our stores and our decisions to implement them are based on a range of factors, including offering our customers a smooth checkout experience.'
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Metro
9 minutes ago
- Metro
'I was a top UK cocaine smuggler and I think Top Boy is completely ridiculous'
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If you're in the market for the more genuine article, Pritchard recommends This City Is Ours on the BBC. Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. The way he tells it, his own story is ripe for screen adaptation – and he would undoubtedly be a stickler for authenticity. Retreading his own misspent youth is part of what he does now with The AP Foundation, giving young offenders a glimpse into the life of a top drug smuggler; one that was a thrilling, addictive ride but that hurt people and ended with 15 years in prison. By the time Prtichard was 21, it was the height of the 1980s house party craze, and he was behind some of the largest illegal warehouse raves in the country. The guest lists weren't anything to be sniffed at either, with Pritchard reeling off names like Milli Vanilli, Boy George and the Pet Shop Boys. 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'You have to become a person they can't afford to lose in that chain, because a lot of people rely on you, so they wrap you in cotton wool.' He says that was his 'protection blanket', alongside a good deal of luck. When a close call forced Pritchard to flee to Jamaica, with the help of extended family on his mother's side, he moved into cocaine. In the noughties, an estimated 20% of the cocaine in Britain came through Jamaica. Pritchard's contact book was stuffed: people on the wharfs, docks, planes, from Montego Bay into Schiphol Airport, to Heathrow and Gatwick. So how much money was he making? That, he's less candid about. 'It's very difficult to put a button figure on it,' he says. 'Turning over hundreds of millions, yes, but what you could actually say you may have at some point received would be a different figure altogether.' As with every great crime drama, from Goodfellas to Scarface, there's always the third act looming, when it's time to pay the piper. Pritchard's arrived in 2015, when he was sent down to Belmarsh. But since he was released and set up his charity to help young offenders, Pritchard's life has been a series of 'surreal' moments. Including attending a knife crime conference at the Old Bailey, only to meet the judge who sentenced him. When the judge, no longer wearing his wig and gown, started to apologise for issuing such a lengthy sentence, Pritchard stopped him. 'Don't apologise, I said, because you changed my life. If I hadn't put in that time and come to my senses, I would be here in front of you in handcuffs again, not sitting here advising kids why not to live this lifestyle,' he told the judge. Prtichard has even brought in a number of fellow reformed offenders to help with his foundation, including Stephen Mee (former drug lord turned artist) and Kenneth Noye (of the Brink's Mat heist, or Jack Lowden's real-life character in The Gold, for TV fans). More Trending 'They know what it's like to sit in prison for 30 odd years and watch people you love die while you're wasting away,' says Pritchard. Now their role is to tell those at the start of a life of criminality that it isn't all it's cracked up to be in shows like Top Boy and Gangs of London. 'You have to tell them the truth, tell them what it is. It seems glorious. And I'll say to you, yes, it's glorious in parts. 'There's two sides to this coin, but when it flips, that other side is not a nice side.' View More » Amsterdam Narcos airs 13 August on Sky Documentaries and streaming service NOW . Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. 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The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Stocks mixed despite GDP surprise amid hot US producer price inflation
The FTSE 100 struggled for direction on Thursday, weighing better-than-expected UK growth figures and a surprise pick-up in producer price inflation across the pond. The FTSE 100 index closed up 12.01 points, 0.1%, at 9,177.24. The FTSE 250 ended down 49.89 points, 0.2%, at 21,801.67, and the AIM All-Share finished 2.17 points higher, 0.3%, at 759.71. In Europe, the CAC 40 in Paris rose 0.7%, while the DAX 40 in Frankfurt advanced 0.8%. The Office for National Statistics said UK gross domestic product (GDP) rose 0.3% in the second quarter from the first, slowing from a 0.7% expansion in the first three months of the year. According to market consensus cited by FXStreet, growth of 0.1% on-quarter had been expected for the three months to June. Deutsche Bank analyst Sanjay Raja said the UK economy found an 'unexpected second wind'. 'The economy expanded by 0.3% on the quarter. But mind the third decimal. Unrounded, UK GDP grew by 0.345% on the quarter – a hair's breadth away from an even stronger surface print. This puts the UK on course to become the second fastest growing economy in the G7 (after claiming the top prize in Q1-25),' Mr Raja said. But Mr Raja noted some areas of disappointment, such as household spending and business investment. On-month, the UK economy rounded off the second quarter with a 0.4% expansion in June, following falls of 0.1% in each of May and April. April's figure was revised upwards from a drop of 0.3% before. Goldman Sachs raised its forecasts for GDP growth in 2025 to 1.4% from 1.2%, above the 1.0% forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility. Mr Raja said: 'To be sure, the economy is growing. Positive momentum is brewing. 'But animal spirits remain tepid. 'While the Chancellor is poised to focus her budget on improving productivity – a very welcome focus for the UK – Number 11 should also prioritise lifting household and business confidence to sustain the UK's outperformance.' In the US, producer prices shot up at a faster pace than expected in July. The Bureau of Labour Statistics said the producer price inflation rate for July was 3.3%, the fastest 12-month gain since February and nearly a full percentage point up from June's rate of 2.4%. A much tamer acceleration to 2.5% was expected, according to consensus cited by FXStreet. On-month, producer prices rose 0.9% in July from June, the largest monthly rise since January, and topping the consensus of a 0.2% increase. Following a fairly benign consumer inflation print on Tuesday, the figures were seen as dampening hopes for widespread rate cuts later in the year. 'After a string of data pointing to greater odds of a September rate cut, the large upside surprise in producer prices highlights the dilemma the Federal Reserve faces in judging the risks to its dual mandate,' said Matthew Martin, at Oxford Economics. But Veronica Clark, at Citi, said strength in services in both CPI and PPI was concentrated in a few specific components and not indicative of broad-based price pressures. She continues to expect limited signs of persistent inflation and a weakening labour market will have Fed officials cutting rates by 25 basis points in September and each meeting after to a 3% to 3.25% rate. Mr Martin is not so sure. His baseline forecast expects the Federal Reserve to hold off on rate cuts until December, although he accepts 'our near-term outlook for monetary policy is walking a tightrope' that will be shaped by the next employment and price reports. The data saw stock markets ease, giving back a slice of recent gains, the dollar perk up, and bond yields push higher. In New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.4%, the S&P 500 was 0.3% lower, as was the Nasdaq Composite. The pound eased to 1.3541 dollars late on Thursday afternoon in London, compared with 1.3566 dollars at the equities close on Wednesday. The euro ebbed to 1.1650 dollars, lower against 1.1713 dollars. Against the yen, the dollar was trading higher at 147.72 yen compared with 147.24 yen. The yield on the US 10-year Treasury was at 4.28%, widened from 4.23%. The yield on the US 30-year Treasury was 4.87%, stretched from 4.83%. In London, insurance stocks were the flavour of the day with gains for Aviva and Admiral. Aviva, which has more than 33 million customers and operates in more than 16 countries globally, rose 2.5% as it said pre-tax profit surged 30% to £1.27 billion in the first six months of the year from £978 million a year prior. The London-based insurer said operating profit was 22% higher on-year at £1.07 billion from £875 million a year prior. Gross written premiums were 4.7% higher at £6.29 billion from £6.01 billion. It lifted its interim dividend by 10% to 13.1 pence per share from 11.9p. 'With operating profit up 22% (10% ahead of consensus) and the interim dividend up 10% (2% ahead of consensus), Aviva's recent run of success appears to have continued,' Jefferies analyst Philip Kett said. Admiral jumped 5.6% after reporting strong first-half results, led by growth in its motor insurance business, where profits leapt 56% year-on-year. The FTSE 100-listing said pre-tax profit rose 67% to £516.1 million in the six months to June 30 from £309.8 million the year prior. Pre-tax profit from continuing operations jumped 69% to £521.0 million from £307.6 million, beating the £508 million Visible Alpha consensus. 'Another great update from the gift that keeps on giving,' said Bank of America. Centrica climbed 3.4% as it said it had agreed, along with Energy Capital Partners LLP, to buy the Isle of Grain liquefied natural gas terminal in Kent from National Grid for an enterprise value of £1.5 billion. Rolls-Royce rose 2.1% as UBS raised its share price target to 1,375 pence from 1,075p, driven primarily by 'our likely above-management pricing expectations and above-guidance margin assumptions in Civil and Power Systems, where we see further opportunity for turnaround benefits to be realised'. In an upside scenario, UBS sees 2,000p fair value as 'credible'. A barrel of Brent rose to 66.80 dollars late on Thursday afternoon from 65.51 dollars on Wednesday. Gold eased to 3,339.74 dollars an ounce against 3,356.28 dollars. The biggest risers on the FTSE 100 were Admiral, up 192 pence at 3,560p, Centrica, up 5.5p at 167.6p, BAE Systems, up 44.5p at 1,776p, Aviva, up 16.2p at 675.2p and Babcock International, up 21.5p at 988.5p. The biggest fallers on the FTSE 100 were Rio Tinto, down 188p at 4,480.5p, Beazley, down 24p at 776p, Diploma, down 130p at 5,315p, Persimmon, down 26p at 1,103p, and Halma, down 62p at 3,224p. There are no significant events in the local corporate calendar on Friday. The global economic calendar on Friday has US retail sales and industrial production data.
Metro
2 hours ago
- Metro
Whole Foods is launching the Anya Hindmarch Universal Bag for £12.99
Metro journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission – learn more Designer shopping tote bags are all the craze, from Lulu Guinness shoppers available at Waitrose, the iconic Twiggy bags at M&S, and Anya Hindmarch. Thankfully Whole Foods Market is collaborating with Anya Hindmarch to bring back the sell-out Universal bag, which is a reusable shopper but more stylish than a bag for life (sorry, not sorry). The Universal Bag is now in its fourth year, which shows how much it is in demand – who would have thought? The smart design from fashion house Anya Hindmarch has been crafted from 100% recycled fabric, which is also recyclable, though it's intended for reuse. Crafted from 100% recycled materials, this rectangular tote bag is large enough to house your groceries, and double up as a work bag too. It features thick woven straps that are comfortable to wear over your shoulder and not give way under weighty contents. The body of the bag comes in a light brown, while the straps are a combination of brown, white and green. It also features Anya Hindmarch's signature eyes motif on the front. BUY IN STORE FOR £12.99 The 2025 tote bag maintains its iconic look, as it is a large tote design in a light brown body with brown, white and forest green handles, which are sturdy thanks to the durable fabric and tight weave. It also features Anya Hindmarch's wandering eyes motif on the front. The Anya Hindmarch shopper will be available to buy exclusively at London's Kings Road store from August 11, but it will also be available from all six UK Whole Foods Markets from August 18. The best part is the designer supermarket tote is super affordable at just £12.99. Yes, it's more expensive than your typical bag for life, but it is a lot less than designer tote bags from Anya Hindmarch that can fetch three figures. The bag is said to have a 10-year guarantee, so it is a worthy investment you will certainly get your cost per wear out of, even if you only use it for your weekly food shop, though it's large enough to double as your work bag to carry your laptop. More Trending If your bag is looking worn, it has a built-in freepost returns system so it can be fully recycled in the UK. Speaking about the initiative, Anya Hindmarch said: 'The Universal Bag project has saved over 330 tonnes of virgin plastic from landfill since launch in 2021. Plastic pollution remains a pressing issue but working together with major global food retailers shows how the solution needs to be collaborative.' So, what are you waiting for? It's time to get shopping for the bag, and your groceries too. Of course, should you not be able to get to a Whole Foods, we've picked out some gorgeous Anya Hindmarch bits that are utterly gorgeous! The Kikkoman Candle is the quirky gift you didn't know you needed. Designed with die-hard soy sauce fans in mind, it's a slick black jar that nods to the iconic bottle – logo and all. But it's not just about looks. The scent is surprisingly luxe, blending neroli, saffron, patchouli, amber and vanilla for a warm, umami-inspired vibe that's more bougie than bento box. Buy Now for £95 Anya Hindmarch's Small Loose Pocket is a stylish, personalised leather pouch – ideal for gifting. It can be customised with a message and used for everyday essentials. For something more sentimental, the Bespoke range offers handcrafted heirlooms featuring monograms, drawings, and messages embossed by expert artisans. Buy Now for £220 This mustard-yellow sunglasses holder from Anya Hindmarch is pure joy in accessory form. 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The tasselled zip adds a fun touch, while the roomy interior keeps your essentials – tissues, makeup, keys, earphones – neatly in check. Buy Now for £290 Follow Metro across our social channels, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Share your views in the comments below MORE: The beaded bags that definitely deserve a spot in your suitcase this summer MORE: Everything you need to create gift bags that your hens will actually use MORE: New Look's Jacquemus-inspired dress looks just like its designer alternative – for £1088 less
