Grocery stores have begun attaching security labels to everyday items, including cheese, butter and baby food, as inflation continues to bite.
A spike in shoplifting incidents caused by the cost of living The crisis has forced many stores to increase the use of magnetic alarm devices typically reserved for expensive items such as steak, wine and cosmetics.
An Asda branch in the northeast put safety stickers on 750g tubs of Lurpak spreadable butter, priced at £6.
The same product sells for as much as £7.25 in some supermarkets, while the average price for a 500g tub, now £4.49, has risen by a third in the past year.
Meanwhile, at an Aldi store, £3.99 packs of its own brand of cheddar were fitted with hard-lock tags.
Many Sainsbury’s stores would label barrels of Aptamil infant, toddler and follow-on milk.
At a Tesco in Streatham, south London, labels have been affixed to formula cans, some of which now cost up to £21.
According to polls, Britons have stolen nearly £500 million worth of everyday goods in the past year alone, including toiletries and fresh produce.
That equates to about £25 worth of items per family.
According to MyFavouriteVoucherCodes, 34% of adults said they had stolen something by not scanning it at self-checkout in the past year, up 22% from the previous year.
Of the 2,584 shoppers surveyed, 69% said they were driven to steal by the rising cost of living.
But 43% said they did this because the barcode wouldn’t scan at the checkout.
Most shoplifting was toiletries and hygiene products, followed by fresh fruit and vegetables, baby food and sweet treats.
The company president, Julian House, said: “Theft is by no means something that can be tolerated. But the findings do highlight the drastic situation many find themselves during this cost of living crisis.
“Such a high percentage suggests they are stealing essentials that they simply cannot afford.
‘This speaks of a social and economic problem that simply needs to be tackled with greater measures than is currently the case.’
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