To be really sick of supermarkets treating paying customers like scum

[OptimismvsRealism]

Sainsbury's traps you in the self service pen of shame until you scan your receipt like a good little girl

Tesco won't take the security tags off your wine until you've not only paid but they've examined your receipt in detail to make sure your wine is paid for - sort of a performance so you remember your place

Waitrose makes a bit song and dance about doing the rescan of self scanning shops (I don't do self scanning because why would I sign up for this extra work?)

Just in Lidl and my wine set off the security alarm even though I've had the tags taken off and the security guard chased me out the door to try to get me to show him inside my bags (er no fuck off pal)

Aldi staff try to look in your shopping bags as you queue

Does anywhere NOT get a kick out of treating their profit drivers like filth any more?

I will probably just have to live off UHPs from the local Greggs at this rate

Bit extreme op.

How is trying to prevent theft treating customers like scum?

Online shopping

Treating paying customers like dirt with measures that won't in any way prevent actual theft is indeed treating us all like scum.

I get all the reasons why they have to do it, but yes as someone who despite being low income has never and would never steal anything in my life, I do feel pissed off with the extreme measures; for some reason especially Sainsbury’s receipt scanning!

Agreed but where can I go that isn't giving my money to these places through another route?

Well unfortunately so much is stolen from supermarkets they either have to do this or they will have to put up their prices.
Want to pay £10 for a loaf of bread? I doubt it.
You would not believe how much retailers lose in theft.

M & S

Of course all those things hugely reduce theft. Imagine how much more would be stolen without any attempts to reduce it. Shoplifting has spiralled in recent years.

Shop in small local shops as much as you can. The supermarkets don't deserve our custom.

Supermarkets are struggling to maintain their margins and many UK supermarkets are now only propped up by their international chains where they’re performing better.

Theft is a huge source of leakage and with the COL it’s also becoming even more prevalent.

So, yes, I think YABU, it’s a reaction to the increase in theft and a desire to be profitable as a business.

You're not wrong. The enshitiffication of everything, power is retained centrally while responsibility is devolved to the individual.

None of these measures stop theft. They just make the shopping experience shit for people who were planning to buy stuff.

Don't blame the shop staff who are trying to prevent thefts, blame the thieves!

Of course they stop theft!

Yes Marks is great tbf

I wonder why? The price of food has spiraled.

Go to your corner shop/local grocers. They won't have security, but they also won't have the choice and it'll be more expensive. It's an option though if you really feel like you're treated like scum in the big shops.

Really. How do you think scanning your little receipt like a good girl good girl can I have a biscuit stops theft?

Meanwhile, shoplifting is massively on the increase while shop staff are getting harassed and abused every day. I for one am happy to put up with a bit of inconvenience and dont automatically see it as being accused of some nefarious action. Get a grip OP.

Booths have now removed all their self service tills, owing to negative customer feedback.

Huh?

You mentioned a range of measures in your OP.

My OH works in loss prevention for a large supermarket chain…

This is literally a non issue. Why should the take security tags off things before proof of payment is shown?

Are you the poster who routinely moans about supermarkets and being made to feel like a criminal apparently? Let if go.
You have no divine right to walk around a private business and not have security methods in place.

Must be the area you live in. My town has a Tesco, Sainsbo and Lidl and we have none of these.

The Tesco tag thing doesn’t make sense, if you go through a till they take it off whilst you are putting your stuff through, if you go through self scan once you’ve paid they take it off, they don’t check your receipt as they can see it on the screen and The Red light flashes when you indicate you have an item with tags so there’s usually staff close by. I’ve never had to show a receipt in Tesco for a tagged item.