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Scottish Sun
24-05-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Tesco becomes latest UK supermarket to make major change at self-service checkouts in bid to crackdown on shoplifting
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TESCO has become the latest retailer to launch VAR-style replays at self-checkouts – after their rivals successfully used them to stop brazen thefts. A camera above scan-and-go tills records packing actions and uses AI to detect when an item may not have been scanned properly. 2 Tesco has made a major change at self-service checkouts in bid to crack down on shoplifting Credit: Instagram 2 The move is thought to have already cut some self-checkout thefts Credit: Alamy It then shows shoppers an instant replay of themselves failing to scan the products. The move is thought to have already cut some self-checkout thefts at Sainsbury's, where the footy ref aid-inspired cameras were quietly introduced last month. Supermarket bosses believe thieves who can see their illegal actions have been caught red-handed are far more likely to pay for them instead. It is unclear when the kit was added to Tesco tills, but any would-be robbers attempting to take from the stores now see the message: 'The last item wasn't scanned properly. 'Remove from bagging area and try again." If the measure is successful, lock-boxes and security stickers, which are typically reserved for high-value items, could finally be removed from everyday goods like teabags, chocolate and tins of Spam. A retail source said: The early indications are that this is working and it is an effective measure. 'This is different to a live camera because many shoplifters assume nobody is watching. 'If your attempted theft has been clipped up and replayed to you seconds later, you know you might only have two options. 'One is to pay, and the other is to get caught. Watch as defiant Tesco shoppers wait in MASSIVE queue rather than use self-service checkouts 'A great deal of shoplifters simply will keep going, whatever the stores do. 'But it will deter some, and much like Tesco's slogan, every little helps.' In February, Tesco unveiled a specialist security centre at its warehouse in Daventry, Northants, which monitors the unbelievable shoplifting crime wave 24 hours a day. The multi-million pound centre is the beating heart of the retailer's shrink transformation team, who are responsible for hunting Britain's marauding criminals. Security boss Emma Sparrock said: 'Our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our colleagues and customers has never been stronger. 'This move is a symbol of our team's growth, and we're ready to face what lies ahead with a renewed sense of purpose and determination.' A record 516,971 shoplifting incidents were logged by police in 2024 — up from 429,873 in 2023. Yet only a fifth resulted in a charge, while more than half of the investigations ended with no suspect identified. Tom Ironside, of the British Retail Consortium, said shoplifting was costing £2billion a year with rising violence and abuse against staff. A Tesco spokeswoman said: 'We are always looking at technology to make life easier for our customers. "We have recently installed a new system at some stores which helps customers using self-service checkouts identify if an item has not been scanned properly, making the checkout process quicker and easier.' It comes after a huge supermarket chain revealed major changes across its nearly 2,400 stores - but it will leave shoppers divided. And Morrisons announced a change coming to all of its UK stores, with new "premium" offers for shoppers.
Scottish Sun
24-04-2025
- Scottish Sun
Fury as shoplifting soars to record high with thieves ‘becoming bolder and more aggressive'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SHOPLIFTING offences have gone past half a million in a year for the first time. A record 516,971 incidents were logged by police — up from 429,873 in 2023. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Shoplifting offences have gone past half a million in a year for the first time Credit: Getty Yet only a fifth resulted in a charge while more than half of investigations ended with no suspect identified. The figures from the Office for National Statistics came after a Sun investigation exposed the scale of shoplifting from Greggs. We witnessed countless cases of thieves swiping baked and sweet treats from branches across the country — with staff powerless to intervene. Tom Ironside, of the British Retail Consortium, said shoplifting was costing £2billion a year with rising violence and abuse against staff. READ MORE ON SHOPLIFTING PLODDY RIDICULOUS Cops arrest mum for confiscating kids' iPads amid shoplifting epidemic He added: 'While the ONS statistics show shoplifting at record levels, the figures severely underestimate the problem. 'They are equivalent to less than two incidents per shop per year. Shopkeepers will tell you they're lucky if a day goes by without a shoplifting incident.' Policing minister Dame Diana Johnson said: 'This Labour Government will not tolerate the criminality blighting our communities. That's why we're putting almost 3,000 more bobbies on the beat this year.' But Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: 'Law and order is taking a back seat under Labour.' Meanwhile, 152,416 offences of theft from the person were recorded last year, up more than a fifth from 2023. So far, at least 16,000 offenders have been let out of jail early as part of Labour's plan to free up space behind bars.
The Sun
24-04-2025
- The Sun
Fury as shoplifting soars to record high with thieves ‘becoming bolder and more aggressive'
SHOPLIFTING offences have gone past half a million in a year for the first time. A record 516,971 incidents were logged by police — up from 429,873 in 2023. Yet only a fifth resulted in a charge while more than half of investigations ended with no suspect identified. The figures from the Office for National Statistics came after a Sun investigation exposed the scale of shoplifting from Greggs. We witnessed countless cases of thieves swiping baked and sweet treats from branches across the country — with staff powerless to intervene. Tom Ironside, of the British Retail Consortium, said shoplifting was costing £2billion a year with rising violence and abuse against staff. He added: 'While the ONS statistics show shoplifting at record levels, the figures severely underestimate the problem. 'They are equivalent to less than two incidents per shop per year. Shopkeepers will tell you they're lucky if a day goes by without a shoplifting incident.' Policing minister Dame Diana Johnson said: 'This Labour Government will not tolerate the criminality blighting our communities. That's why we're putting almost 3,000 more bobbies on the beat this year.' But Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: 'Law and order is taking a back seat under Labour.' Meanwhile, 152,416 offences of theft from the person were recorded last year, up more than a fifth from 2023. So far, at least 16,000 offenders have been let out of jail early as part of Labour's plan to free up space behind bars.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Shoplifting offences in UK reach highest level on record, figures reveal
The number of shoplifting offences recorded by police in England and Wales has risen to the highest level on record, according to official figures, surpassing half a million offences for the first time in 2024. A total of 516,971 shoplifting offences were recorded last year, a 20% increase on the 429,873 recorded in 2023, according to the Office for National Statistics. This is the highest level of shoplifting logged since current police recording practices began in 2003, although retailers said the official figures 'severely underestimate' the scale of the problem. Crime figures have shown a rise in shoplifting since the pandemic, but it has continued to climb, resulting in an increase in the overall level of theft in England and Wales last year. The rise in shoplifting has been partly seen as the result of squeezed household finances amid high inflation in recent years, but the industry body British Retail Consortium (BRC) has previously blamed it on organised gangs stealing to order. Related: Nearly one in four Britons have witnessed shoplifting, study shows 'While the ONS statistics show that shoplifting is at record levels, their figures severely underestimate the problem,' said Tom Ironside, the director of business and regulation at the BRC. 'Their figures are equivalent to less than two incidents per shop per year; if you ask most shopkeepers they'll tell you they're lucky if a day goes by without a shoplifting incident,' he added. 'A survey of major retailers by the BRC showed there are over 20m incidents of shoplifting every year – unfortunately many of these go unreported as retailers simply don't have faith that action will be taken by the police,' Ironside said. The trade body has calculated that shop theft costs retailers more than £2.2bn a year, and is also causing them to spend £1.8m on anti-crime measures. Retailers have called for help to prevent and handle rising retail crime and the impact it has on their employees and businesses, and the BRC is demanding more police resources allocated to the tackling increasing levels of theft. Aside from the financial cost, retail workers have warned of the threat of violence and abuse they face when battling to control shoplifting. The retail trade union, Usdaw, said two-thirds of the 9,500 retail workers who responded to its annual survey said incidents of violence, threats and verbal abuse they had experienced were triggered by theft or armed robbery. Paddy Lillis, Usdaw's general secretary said: 'Having to deal with repeated and persistent offences can cause issues beyond the theft itself, like anxiety, fear and physical harm to retail workers.' The retail thefts being reported are 'only the tip of the iceberg,' said James Lowman, the chief executive of the Association of Convenience Stores. Fraud increased by a third in 2024 to 4.1m incidents, according to the ONS figures. This included 2.4m incidents of bank and credit account fraud, and 1.1m incidents of consumer and retail fraud, which rose by 35% compared with a year earlier. The consumer group Which? called on the government to 'halt the flood of online scam adverts' through full implementation of the Online Safety Act. 'It's also vital that the government announces plans for tough regulation of online advertising more widely, to tackle the wave of bogus celebrity-backed investment schemes and other scam adverts that appear on popular websites,' said Rocio Concha, Which? director of policy and advocacy.
