A Tesco store in East London has begun locking Cadbury chocolate bars in plastic security cases, leaving shoppers bemused. The 120g Dairy Milk caramel bars, priced at £2.10 or £1.75 for Clubcard holders, must now be released by staff at the checkout before purchase.
The measure was spotted at a branch in Seven Kings, Ilford. One shopper, Kash Ali, said: “Times are hard, people will nick anything.” Another, named Angela, remarked: “The case cost more than the chocolate bar.”
A source from the supermarket chain said security decisions are made on a store-by-store basis and denied that it was new policy. The practice is already common in continental Europe, including at stores operated by French giant Carrefour.
Retailers have been battling a rising tide of theft, with other examples including security-protected Lindt chocolate and boxes of Persil pods at a Sainsbury’s in Barnet in September, and security-tagged packs of ham at a Tesco in Blackpool. Some Tesco stores have also installed slidable plastic strips on confectionery shelves.
Shoplifting has reached a record high, with more than 530,000 instances reported in the year to March 2025. Under the government’s new Crime and Policing Bill, shoplifting offences under £200 will no longer be treated as a ‘summary only’ offence, and a new offence of assaulting a retail worker is being created.
