Co-op has been spotted using GPS trackers on sausages to crack down on shoplifters. A social media post shows the trackers were used on a pack of Co-op Irresistible Cumberland sausages, priced at £3.90, in a store in Sussex. The sausages were also locked in a perspex box.
Security Measures Intensify
A spokesperson for Co-op said: "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, including the latest CCTV, body-worn cameras, fortified kiosks, security cases and covert and non-covert guarding." UK supermarkets have been increasing their security measures in recent years to deter a rise in thefts in stores. Other strategies include locked display cabinets and receipt-scanning gates at exit barriers.
Theft Statistics
The latest figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) shows there were 5.5 million detected incidents of theft last year, costing shops nearly £400 million. BRC figures also revealed that violence and abuse against retail workers fell by a fifth in 2025, but it remained at its second highest level on record. Incidents involving physical violence against retail staff remained largely unchanged from the previous year, at 118 per day, and there were on average 36 incidents per day involving a weapon. The overall number of incidents fell from 2,000 a day to 1,600, but the BRC said levels remained "unacceptably high" and far beyond the 455 incidents a day registered before the pandemic.
Legislative Changes
The Crime and Policing Bill officially received Royal Assent last month, removing the £200 threshold that previously treated lower-value theft as a summary-only offence. It means all shoplifting incidents are now treated as "general theft" and standard criminal offences.
Industry Response
BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: "Violence remains endemic. No-one should go to work fearing for their safety, and we must redouble our efforts to bring these numbers much further down once and for all. Theft remains a huge issue, with an increasingly concerning link to organised criminal gangs, who continue to systematically target one store after another, stealing tens of thousands of pounds worth of goods in one go. Retailers, the police and government must continue to work together, building on the great work done so far, focusing on consistent enforcement, better data and intelligence sharing, and targeted action against prolific offenders and organised gangs."
