Co-op has introduced GPS trackers on a range of grocery items, including sausages, steak and beef, in an effort to deter shoplifters. The products, such as Co-op Irresistible Cumberland Sausages priced at £3.90, are being stored in plastic security boxes labelled as fitted with the tracking device. Other meat products, including British sirloin steak at £7 and Angus beef roasting joints at £20.90, have also been secured in the same way at some stores.
The move comes as retailers across the UK grapple with rising shoplifting incidents. Co-op said the tactic was part of a wider security strategy that also includes CCTV, body-worn cameras, fortified kiosks and security cases. A spokesperson for the chain said the measures, along with stronger police partnerships, had contributed to a significant drop in retail crime.
According to Co-op, overall retail crime fell by 21 per cent last year, with anti-social behaviour and abuse down 36 per cent and physical assaults down 31 per cent. The spokesperson added: 'We know the tide of criminality can be turned. Local shops are an anchor in communities, and we continue to invest significantly in wide-ranging safety and security measures.'
The GPS tags, attached to the security boxes, enable the location of stolen products to be tracked, and can only be removed after purchase. The measure follows reports of chocolate bars being locked in security boxes at several supermarkets, and Tesco has also used similar protection for items like salmon.
British Retail Consortium figures show there were 5.5 million detected incidents of shop theft last year. Separately, ONS data recorded 509,566 shoplifting offences, down one per cent from 2024, while convictions in England and Wales reached 48,849 in the same period, the highest in nearly a decade.
