In an effort to tackle the rise of shoplifting, Sainsbury’s has made a major change to their self-service checkouts.
The supermarket giant has installed cameras on the machines which records customers packing items at the self-service tills.
Shoppers who bag an item which they have not scanned will be shown the footage with the message ‘Looks like that last item didn’t scan. Please check you scanned it correctly before continuing.’
The preventative measure follows a rise in shoplifting which saw police log 516,971 incidents last year – up from 429,873 in 2023.
It has been met with mixed reactions from customers, with one claiming they were presented with the warning message because a packet of basil they were trying to purchase was ‘too light’.
Another said: ‘Thanks to Sainsbury’s, I can now re-live and learn from my packing mistakes.
‘I can almost hear [Sky pundit] Jamie Carragher lamenting my positioning.’
A Sainsbury’s source told The Sun the move is a ‘deterrent to shoplifters’, adding that ‘most people have made a genuine mistake while scanning, which is picked up by the scales’.
Sainsbury’s has installed cameras on the machines which records customers packing items at the self-service tills
The preventative measure follows a rise in shoplifting which saw police log 516,971 incidents last year – up from 429,873 in 2023
In 2023, people were left outraged after Sainsbury’s installed barriers at the self-checkouts which only let customers out once they scan their receipt
They said the new system is ‘a more gentle reminder’ compared to flashing red lights and a staff member rushing over.
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: ‘We regularly review the security measures in our stores and our decisions to implement them are based on a range of factors, including offering our customers a smooth checkout experience.’
No suspects were identified for over half of the shoplifting incidents reported last year and just one in five resulted in a charge.
Tom Ironside, Director of Business and Regulation at the British Retail Consortium, said theft is costing supermarket firms £2billion a year.
Sainsbury’s new measure comes after the supermarket chain outraged customers in May 2023 following the introduction of barriers which only let them leave the self-checkout area once they had scanned the receipt.
Shoppers leaving the store empty handed must instead ask Sainsbury’s security to let them out.
They hit out at the firm, saying the barriers put innocent people ‘under suspicion of stealing’.
