Greggs shifts food behind counters to stop thieves

[SerendipityJane]

I'm old enough that my DM was more used to this sort of operation than the new fangled "self service" that appeared in the 60s.

Once again the feeling of travelling backwards in time doesn't seem to quite go away.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c17r52rvj2lo

Capitalist dogma suggests that reduced shrinkage should cover the extra personpower needed to implement this scheme ?

Greggs had had problems for years with this. One of my DDs worked in one when she was at uni and they were told right away never to challenge shoplifters.

The manager very bluntly told them it wasn't worth the risk of being stabbed or assaulted to save a baguette or sausage roll.

Stacey Dooley - Meet the Shoplifters on iplayer is worth a watch.

Most thefts in retail is to fund the shoplifter's drug fix. They steal like 10 beef joints. 7 packs of dishwasher tablets etc.

Then I have seen shoplifters stealing these things then sell them on just 50m away from the shop.

You wish you were brave enough to descend to criminal behaviour?

My friend's daughter works at Greggs and they closed their toilet as druggies were getting their fix. There are toilets available in the shopping centre, where Greggs is. But they are the far end.

Shoplifters will carry on as there are no consequences.

Those that steal meat and laundry detergent will continue as there are always customers who will buy. £5 for something that’s worth £15 in the shop? Customers will keep coming.

there are those who are desperate but the majority are masters of the art.

My local opticians, three of them, two well known chains, you have to buzz to get them to open the door - they said it’s because of theft.

On my way out from Sainsbury’s the other day, I set off the alarm as I left. I had self-checked out and knew I had paid for everything, so assumed a mistake had been made and carried on to my car. No staff member challenged me, even though I’d set off the alarm. When I got home, I realised that the alarm went because I’d bought a Scotch bottle in a box. The shop worker had done the age check thing but hadn’t removed the alarm tag as the bottle was in a box and she hadn’t seen it. The incident shows that if I had really stolen it, nothing would have happened, even with the alarm going off.

Isn't it awful what Britain has become?

I was reading an article about shopkeepers who were being terrorised by shoplifting children in Medway, Kent.

Here

Huge issue for beauty brands too - that’s why they have so many staff in their shops (or so I am told!).

No it really doesn’t. If they steal nappies or baby formula it’s to sell, nothing else.

In school uniform..?

I’m glad to hear it. I have seen videos where people have filled those large supermarket bags.

I mean, it's gross that it was even out to be fingered by the general public anyway

You never know what disgusting nose picker has had a rifle through your multipack of cold sausage rolls

How is that different to anything you buy in any shop?

I used to work for Greggs (left two years ago), our shop lost about £200 of stock a day to shoplifting so this doesn't suprise me at all.

Staff aren't allowed to confront shoplifters for safety reasons.

This will massively impact on the time it takes to be served and decrease impulse buys. So profits down and prices bound to increase.

Good point. I think it was more I felt the mug standing in a very long queue and wondering how long before just helping yourself was normalised rather than descending into criminality. Isn’t this how laws/rules are changed? When the weight of public behaviour culminates making the act normal. Now don’t get me going on dogs now everywhere. In a mainstream museum today and a dog in there. And parking on pavements. I need my rescue remedy. 😬

You're gonna eat it straight away - although iswym, I dont buy sandwiches etc either, only food that I'll take home to cook

In my local greggs there were builder men with their butt cracks showing, shuffling through the sausage roll packets 🤢

Forgot to mention what prompted the comment, two shoplifters walked past with their goods. Hence feeling like a mug..

My mum was horrified to be in Greggs when 2 males just walked in and helped themselves to whatever they wanted and walked out without laying for the items. She asked the young woman behind the counter if she was ok and the staff member said yes, it was a very common occurrence.

Years ago I had just paid in Aldi and I could hear a load of shouting , some Baghead with a basket of shopping being all indignant that the manager appeared to accuse him of shoplifting. He was ranting if he was going to be accused of shoplifting he might as well just do it and ran past the checkouts, into the porch bit where I was standing and I stuck my foot out and he went flying. The manager had been following him at a distance (obviously hadn’t been planning on tackling him). Was just so impulsive on my part. I then shit myself and legged it across the car park to my car and sped off. No idea what happened to the shoplifter. 🤣. But he’d dropped his basket and the food had gone flying.

Dh has seen the manager of out local Aldi rugby tackle thieves to the ground. He said all the shoppers who witnessed it stood clapping and cheering the manager on.

Who on earth is stealing non prescription glasses! 😁. Guess there must be a market for frames!

No he hasn't 😅