Have supermarket security measures ruined the shopping experience?

Last week, it emerged that Tesco was trialling a new security measure at some of stores at “high risk” of crime.

The new initiative sees 4ft smoke machines installed in some branches to prevent theft outside of opening hours, by flooding the shop floor with smoke if its motion sensors are triggered.

Fitted with a CCTV camera, the devices are also equipped with an added scare tactic. A message on the front of the device that reads: “Warning: you’re being watched. Smoke screen security fog in operation.”

The new features have already faced criticism from some customers who have likened the new devices to sci-fi horrors such as the “Daleks”.

Tesco is not alone in experimenting with new security measures to try to stamp out shoplifting, which has surged 37% year on year, according to the latest Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW).

A range of new initiatives have been introduced across the grocers – but have they become too extreme?

What steps have supermarkets taken?

Bag checks at Aldi

In August 2023, the Aldi launched an anti-theft initiative, asking its staff to check customers’ shopping bags.

The discounter’s scheme has since come under fire from shoppers who complain about an invasion of privacy and being made to feel “like a criminal”.

Consumer expert Kate Hardcastle says: “Some consumers now spend their time in-store feeling like a prime suspect. Supermarkets are introducing all sorts of anti-theft measures that make customers feel more like they’re in a high-security zone than a friendly store.”

“Supermarkets invest heavily in earning our trust, loyalty, and brand faith. However, the stark reality that we, as consumers, may not be trusted in return creates a fascinating contradiction.”

Security mesh on high-value products

Tesco has recently rolled out security mesh over individual spirit bottles.

In the past, the supermarket is one of many that has resorted to using security tags for everyday products, such as cheese, butter and chocolate bars, as the cost-of-living crisis saw the price of everyday essentials skyrocketing.

Tesco mesh cages around spirit bottles.

Hardcastle comments: “Tesco’s move to put security mesh cages over spirit bottles and tagging everyday items like cheese and butter? For a lot of consumers, it just feels like overkill. Most of use just want to get in, buy our groceries, and get out without any hassle slowing us down.”

Exit barriers at self-checkout 

Sainsbury’s and Morrisons are among the supermarkets that have introduced exit barriers at self-checkout areas.

However, earlier this year, M&S chair Archie Norman described these as resembling a “prison camp”, a sentiment Hardcastle believes is held by many consumers.

She says: “Shoppers having to scan receipts to exit just adds another layer of inconvenience and the notion of mistrust. Compare that to M&S, where its decided against such measures to keep their stores feeling welcoming. I believe that on this, M&S has got it right. It understands that treating customers well and brand trust keeps them coming back.”

Ex-John Lewis customer experience director Peter Cross believes that there is a need to tackle the rise in shoplifting but, during a period where there is a “breakdown in trust” in many institutions by the public, these solutions sometimes only reinforce these feelings.

“The kind of Big Brother initiatives reinforces that feeling of ‘You don’t trust me’. So you’ve got to question, how much commercial sense is it?”

The role of technology

The ex-John Lewis director encourages experimentation to tackle theft but describes some of the latest security measures as “ugly”.

“Some of these measures are really ugly, and not an incentive to buy. There’s no doubt that at some point, technology will ultimately help and give us the answer. But at the moment, we are in the trenches, dealing with unfriendly and unproven mechanics, which is a big problem for retail as a whole.”

Referencing initiatives international supermarkets have taken, Cross points out this problem extends beyond the UK.

“In the US, they are stickering meat products with GPS trackers, which, is like supermarkets saying ‘we know where you are, we know where you live’, which is kind of scary.

“The issue is – in the world of technology – thousands of software companies circling around the supermarkets saying ‘we’ve got the solution’.

“And I’ve got no doubt about it that the GPS tracker providers will be circling like hawks over the UK grocery trade market. All those conversations are live. We’re probably weeks or months away from it arriving.”

AI is already being used in some stores. A London-based Nisa store claims to have cut shoplifting losses by 90% using AI technology software from Veesion which can be connected to store security cameras through the internet. It then automatically monitors all the cameras for potential shoplifting activity.

When the AI detects any suspicious gestures or movements – which can be anything from unusual browsing patterns to someone putting an item in their pocket – it sends a short video clip of suspicious activity to staff, so they can take action and deal with the suspected shoplifter.

The convenience store, which is located in Virginia Quay in London, claims it was originally losing up to £1,000 a week as consumers helped themselves to products, particularly wine and expensive alcohol, without paying for them, however, losses are now less than £100 per week.

The Co-op revealed earlier this year it is investing in AI to monitor self-checkouts.

Meanwhile in January, a Morrisons ‘RoboCop’ style security cameras trial sparked a backlash among some shoppers who claim the new devices have left them feeling “like a criminal”.

The supermarket chain had deployed the portable CCTV devices along its alcohol aisle as part of its plan to tackle the rise in retail shoplifting.

However, Cross is sceptical about this initiative. ” I do celebrate experimentation – great retailers are constantly experimenting – but the delivery is really awful. Clumsy, clunky, it looks ridiculous. It’s not seamless. Like Robocop – it’s a bit of a joke in terms of that particular delivery.”

What is the answer?

Cross believes that ultimately “technology will find an elegant, non threatening way” to deal with retail crime, but at the moment, supermarkets do not have the solution.”

“We’re still in the trench warfare of trying to fix the problem. These solutions aren’t bad enough to stop people shopping – right now there is a lots of experimentation.

“But all it takes is a supermarket putting stock first, numbers first and rolling it out across their network – and customer rebellion will be far more punishing to those brands involved”.

Hardcastle believe some are already switching allegianced due to overzealous security measures in store.

“Some customers are certainly voting with their feet – and their wallets,” she says. “Many are heading to stores where they don’t feel that there is a blanket treatment of mistrust or switching to online shopping, where they can avoid all the hassle. The majority of us want a pleasant shopping experience, and a lot could have been done to bring a much more human interface instead of these units and measures suddenly appearing.

“Supermarkets need to get smarter about security without making customers feel uncomfortable. How about also investing in more colleagues for customer service?” Trained staff can deter theft by being more present and engaging with customers. Or using discreet surveillance that doesn’t scream ‘We think you’re a thief!’

“The goal should be creating a positive shopping experience that naturally discourages theft, rather than turning every visit into a security ordeal.”

Striking the balance between customer experience and security is hard but returning to a more traditional approach of investing in trained staff and discreet surveillance could get results without alienating customers.