Grocery retailers Jumbo, Co-op UK and Sainsbury's have announced measures to combat shoplifting.
Dutch retailer Jumbo, which incurred over €100 million in losses last year from theft, is boosting camera surveillance in all stores and will conduct more frequent random checks at self-scanning checkouts, it said in a statement.
Anrico Maat, retail director at Jumbo said, "Shoplifting is not normal and should never become normal. Everyone is affected by shoplifting and the damage it causes. [...]
"That is why we are taking extra measures, precisely because we want to be the most customer-friendly supermarket for our customers where you can shop pleasantly and safely and our employees have a pleasant workplace."
Measures
The retailer will roll out the 'Jumbo Winwiel' from mid-March, which will give shoppers the opportunity to win a free product after an error-free, extensive random check.
It will also implement prominent communication in all shops to remind customers to pay for all their groceryies and inform customers that Jumbo is implementing measures to check shoplifting.
The company will carry out targeted spot checks using a software that will use AI to recognise deviant behaviour among customers in the shop.
The implementation of the so-called 'short receipt' in self-scanning will show every product scanned, with considerably less paper consumption than the long receipt. It will help conduct checks when customers have already passed the till.
The retailer will also implement procedures for settling shoplifting cases, with compensation of €181 through the so-called SODA scheme and the possible implementation of shopping bans.
Co-op UK
Elsewhere, UK's Co-op has invested over £200 million over recent years in implementing preventative measures to make its stores and communities safer.
In 2023, the retailer witnessed more than 300,000 incidents of shoplifting, abuse, violence and anti-social behaviour across its 2,400 stores, which equates to around 1,000 incidents every day.
The retailer is now planning to install over 200 secure till kiosks, locked cabinets for spirits and use AI technology to monitor self-checkouts, according to media reports.
Earlier this week, Sainsbury's announced investments in intelligent technology in various areas including checkouts and strengthening its Nectar loyalty membership to offer more rewards.
