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Tesco Tags Stock Cubes Amid Shoplifting Surge
8 Mar
Summary
- Security tags are now on Oxo stock cubes due to shoplifting.
- Shoplifting offenses reached a record high in England and Wales.
- Retailers report £2.2 billion annual losses from theft.
In response to a significant increase in shoplifting, Tesco has started applying security tags to packets of Oxo stock cubes, which retail for £2.85. This measure, implemented in a Tesco Express in Croydon, South London, targets even low-cost essential items. Store workers reported that a whole tray of cubes was stolen recently, prompting the security update.
Shoplifting incidents have reached a record high across England and Wales, with a 19.5% annual increase. Retailers collectively face annual losses of £2.2 billion due to theft, with criminal gangs increasingly involved. This surge has led stores like Tesco, Sainsbury's, and Boots to secure items such as alcohol, chocolate, and medicines in lockable boxes.
The tagging of essential items like Oxo cubes underscores a worrying trend where even inexpensive goods are becoming targets for theft. Consumer watchdogs have expressed concern over the escalating shoplifting crisis. Recent police efforts, including facial recognition trials in London, aim to curb these persistent issues.
