Greggs has moved food and drink behind anti-theft counters at a number of its stores in a bid to curb rampant shoplifting. The bakery chain has removed self-service displays and emptied shelves in a major refit at its West Croydon branch in South London, according to reports.
Staff at the site now serve customers from behind theft-proof counters to prevent thieves from helping themselves to items. Similar trials are reportedly underway at outlets in Peckham, Whitechapel, and Upton Park in London, as well as in Birmingham and Wilford, Nottinghamshire.
The move comes as shoplifting in the UK soared to a 20-year high in the year to March 2025, with retailers warning that thefts were spiralling out of control. However, updated figures from the Office for National Statistics released last week indicate a potential stabilisation, with a 1 per cent decrease in shoplifting year-on-year, recording 509,566 offences in the year ending December 2025.
Greggs confirmed that the anti-theft measures are being trialled at several shops experiencing high levels of anti-social behaviour. In a statement to The Sun, the company said: "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."
Last month, Adam Gosling, 39, was spared jail after admitting to stealing from a Greggs branch in Greenford, west London, 38 times between 30 December 2025 and 10 February. The thefts ranged from £12.30 to £100 per visit, with Gosling sometimes targeting the shop multiple times a day. Prosecutors at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court said his six-week spree totalled £1,817.50.
CCTV footage released by the Metropolitan Police showed Gosling brazenly taking drinks from a shop fridge. In one clip, wearing a hood over a cap, he fills a carrier bag with multiple Lucozade bottles while a staff member is nearby. Magistrates sentenced Gosling, who was homeless, to four months in prison, suspended for one year.
Responding to the latest ONS figures, Crime and Policing Minister Sarah Jone admitted that shop theft rates remain "unacceptably high" but said the government's actions are turning the tide. "These figures show that our swift, decisive action is turning the tide: shoplifting is down on last year," she added. "We’re scrapping the so-called £200 ‘licence to steal’. The number of shoplifters facing justice continues to soar under this government, with 17 per cent more charges in just a year."
