Greggs is ditching its self-service fridges and instead putting sandwiches and bottled drinks behind counters as the chain fights back against shoplifters.
The bakery chain has launched the new policy in at least five branches, while other stores have installed bank-style screens on the counter or brought in security guards.
Greggs is trialling the initiative at shops including one in Whitechapel, East London – with some stores being targeted by thieves every 20 minutes, reported The Sun.
One customer allegedly took a whole case of Coca-Cola, with a worker saying they ‘couldn’t put a number on how many thieves came in every day’ before the change.
A Greggs spokesman told MailOnline: ‘This is one of a number of initiatives we are trialling across a handful of shops which are exposed to higher levels of anti-social behaviour.
‘Customers can expect to see our full range of great value and tasty Greggs favourites available from behind the counter. The safety of our colleagues and customers remains our number one priority.’
Greggs is ditching its self-service fridges at some stores (file picture before the policy change)
Earlier this year, Greggs boss Roisin Currie also said the business was trialling initiatives including high-security doors, panic alarms, and a system that instantly shares shoplifter images with police.
Meanwhile, it has introduced body-worn cameras for staff in some of its other stores.
In April, official data revealed the number of shoplifting offences recorded by police in England and Wales in a year has passed half a million for the first time.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that a total of 516,971 offences were logged by forces in 2024, up 20 per cent from 429,873 in 2023.
The figure is the highest since current police recording practices began in the year to March 2003 – with shoplifting offences having been running at record levels for the past two years amid a sharp rise since the pandemic.
Other chains have brought in facial recognition technology involving customers’ faces picked up on CCTV being scanned and compared against individuals on an internal watchlist.
In March, Greggs revealed a jump in sales and profits in 2024 as it launched 225 new shops, extended its opening hours and raised prices.
The bakery chain, which has more than 2,600 shops across the UK, generated sales topping £2billion – up 11.3 per cent from 2023.
But Greggs also said many customers were continuing to worry about the cost of living including energy prices, mortgage and rent costs.
The group made a pre-tax profit of £203.9million for the year, 8.3 per cent higher than in 2023.
