Greggs has implemented a significant change in some of its stores as part of a bold strategy to combat shoplifting. The popular bakery chain has relocated self-service fridges and shelves behind the counter in select locations, making it more difficult for thieves to steal items. In these redesigned stores, customers can no longer pick up sandwiches or drinks before paying; instead, staff members retrieve products from behind the till, where they are accessible only to employees.
Rising Shoplifting Offences
This move comes as annual shoplifting offences in the UK have surged past 500,000, forcing retailers to adopt innovative measures to protect their stock. Greggs is piloting the new layout in high-risk areas, including a branch in West Croydon, south London, which recently reopened with all food and drink items placed behind the counter.
Pilot Locations
Other locations trialling the new design include shops in Peckham, Whitechapel, Upton Park, Wilford in Nottingham, and Birmingham. The initiative follows a series of viral videos showing brazen thieves stealing from Greggs stores. Previously, the chain had hired bouncers at some locations to deter shoplifters, but this redesign represents a more permanent solution.
One shopper at the West Croydon branch commented, "The new look certainly isn't what Greggs punters are used to — there's nothing to nick! The only items anyone could take without paying would be sugar or a napkin and some stirrers."
Company Statement
A spokesperson for Greggs stated, "This is one of a number of initiatives we are trialling across a very small number 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."
Serial Thief Avoids Jail
The news follows a case where a serial Greggs thief, Adam Gosling, avoided jail after stealing nearly £2,000 worth of food from the same branch. Gosling stole from a store in Greenford, west London, 38 times between December 30, 2025, and February 10, 2026. He was sentenced to four months in prison, suspended for one year, at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court in February. Prosecutors noted that his six-week theft spree totalled £1,817.50, with him sometimes targeting the shop multiple times in a single day.
Gosling later expressed remorse, saying, "Well I took drinks and I apologise wholeheartedly to Greggs and I'll never do it again. I really mean that. The remorse I have is unbelievable and if I had a chance to say sorry to them I would go do it straight away."
