Tesco has placed security labels on its shopping baskets in a bid to fight shoplifting.
The supermarket giant has started labelling baskets at its Theydon Bois store in Essex, with Tesco staff blaming the move on the rise in thefts in the area. A Tesco spokesperson told the Mirror that security tags were in place to prevent shoppers from forgetting to go. Back them up before you leave the store. Tesco said it’s not a one-size-fits-all policy and the decision to introduce the measure is up to the local store team.
This is not the first time that the supermarket chain has taken this measure to deter thieves. Last year, its Hockley branch supplied baskets with these devices. At the time, a Tesco spokesperson said that if necessary, “some outlets may deploy security measures locally. “
Shoppers weren’t sure how this move could solve the problem, with one visitor from Tesco asking, “What are you going to do with one of them?”James Beach, 45, said, “I may not have when I saw them. “He had put labels on the baskets. I mean, what are you going to do with any of them?Isn’t there something that those other people might not need to cut?
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The news comes as a Tesco branch in Bristol has adopted a new over-security measure to combat theft and keep staff safe. Customers buying groceries at the Bristol branch must now wait outside the supermarket while staff check security cameras, and then once screened and deemed not a threat, they are allowed inside. The policy was implemented between 6:00 and 9:00 a. m. M. Y at night, when there were no security personnel in the store. At the same time, they also fell apart in front of them as the robbers loaded them up and fled.
However, Tesco told the Mirror that all Express branches had remote-controlled door access systems installed a few years ago. Tesco said those systems can only be used when a staff member feels unsafe or when it’s working. This specific measure is not national and each store can decide which protective measures are appropriate for them. This means that other outlets can simply introduce similar policies, such as visitor control and cart tagging, if they deem it necessary.
The British Retail Consortium said shoplifting claimed stores around £1. 8 billion in 2022-2023, up from £953 million the previous year. However, Tesco also reported that its pre-tax profit had more than doubled to £2. 29 billion in the 12 months to February. 29 this year, up from £882 million last year. Meanwhile, the supermarket chain’s leading executive, Ken Murphy, will get £10 million this year. Murphy’s record salary will come from his £1. 4 million salary and £8. 7 million performance-related salary, more than double his £4. 4 million salary last year.
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