Asda reportedly weighing up option following recent trial…

Asda is reportedly exploring the use of in-store vending machines to curb shoplifting, as UK retailers continue to face rising theft levels.

According to recent press reports, the supermarket is in talks to move frequently stolen items from open shelves and into secure vending units.

This includes potentially placing products like batteries, razor blades and perfumes into these machines so that customers would have to pay before accessing them.

The discussions follow an existing trial at an Asda store in Ashton-under-Lyne, where vending-style technology is already being used to sell age-restricted items like vapes and cigarettes. 

In that set up, shoppers select products via a screen, pay at the till, and then use a ticket to collect their purchase from a dispensing machine.