Retail crime may be evolving, but some security principles never go out of fashion…

I had my first experience of “scan-as-you-shop” this week.

I know what you must be thinking… yes, I am late to the party!

But in my defence, this is a relatively new phenomenon for me. Although retailers in South Africa have been trialling the technology for a little while, it wasn’t being used anywhere near as widely as it is here.

It is no secret that I am not a huge fan of shopping. So when Mandy suggested we might be able to speed up the process by scanning our items as we went around the supermarket, I was immediately intrigued. Anything that meant I could be out of there in record time was music to my ears!

However, the reality didn’t quite live up to my expectations…

Instead of the breezy, efficient experience I had imagined, I spent most of the shop quietly questioning my own competence. Had I actually scanned that packet of pasta before putting it in the trolley? Or had I simply convinced myself I had? Should I scan it again? Would that cause some sort of system meltdown? Every item seemed to trigger a fresh round of second-guessing. By the time we reached the tills, I was in something approaching a light bath of sweat.

And then came the moment of truth… We were the “lucky” customers selected for a random check.

As the store assistant methodically worked through something like 24 items from our bags of groceries, I couldn’t help thinking that any time we might have saved had well and truly evaporated.

Of course, I do understand why these checks are necessary. Self-scan theft is a huge issue for retailers, with 37% of supermarket shoppers admitting that they deliberately fail to scan at least one item whilst using self-service checkouts.

As I walked around the supermarket, I was also struck by just how many products now have extra security attached to them. It’s no longer just the usual suspects like spirits and premium cuts of meat. I spotted security tags on everything from baby formula to butter.

I’ve even heard that bars of chocolate are being tagged in some stores as thieves increasingly turn their attention to the sweet treats aisle. It makes you wonder what might be next…

It just goes to show how the nature of criminal behaviour keeps evolving. One month it might be coffee pods or baby formula that’s the flavour of the month, the next it’s something completely different.

Take Pokémon cards, for example. With certain rare editions now selling for thousands of pounds, thefts of the cards have surged in recent months – both here in the UK and around the world.

Just last week I read about thieves breaking into an indoor market in Dorset and stealing around £30,000 worth of trading cards. The display cabinets were also smashed during the break-in, which meant the store couldn’t even open the following day. Lost trade on top of an already painful financial hit is exactly the sort of thing that can have a serious impact on a small business.

Who would have thought this popular Japanese playground pastime would become one of the most sought-after collectables in the world? But just like the constantly shifting list of items targeted on supermarket shelves, it dawned on me that criminals are no longer loyal to any particular product. They simply follow whatever happens to be valuable at the time.

I can only imagine how challenging this must make it for Loss Prevention teams who are constantly having to make decisions about what needs tagging, what should be locked away, and what can safely remain on open shelves.

Yet amid all this change, there is one aspect of retail security that remains refreshingly straightforward: protecting the store’s entry points.

Of course, retailers need smart measures to deter shoplifters once they’re inside. But when it comes to protecting a store after hours – or securing higher-risk internal areas such as tobacco and vape counters – robust physical barrier solutions that prevent thieves from gaining access will always play a vital role.

Whether it’s scan-as-you-shop technology or the shopping list of products targeted by criminals, retail is constantly evolving. But whilst the trends inside the store may change, the importance of properly securing the perimeter never really does.

If you’d like to chat about how Trellidor can help with that, do reach out.