‘Massive issue’: supermarkets take drastic action to battle chocolate theft
Supermarkets have been forced to start locking away chocolate in some shops in a bid to stop thieves.
Shoplifters pinching large bars of confectionery has become a ‘massive issue’, the BBC reports. In one example cited, a man was arrested with a coat full of Cadbury’s Crème Eggs last year.
Sainsbury’s is among the retailers taking stricter measures in certain branches. It says that it is putting "boxes on products which are regularly targeted".
The BBC reports that Tesco and Co-Op are stepping up security around chocolate bars - particularly the larger 180g ones. Customers in specific branches will have to take the clear boxes to the counter to be unlocked, when making a purchase.
Steve Browne, chief executive of the Heart of England Co-Op group, said: “In a particular shop, one individual could cost us thousands of pounds in a week. They were coming in... then literally swiping the whole shelf."
Another shopkeeper told the BBC: “We noticed that we've put out a whole line of chocolate bars, and then all of a sudden there's only one left.
"Then you go and check the CCTV, and then you see it happening, on the screen, which is really frustrating.”