Customers in some Greggs will no longer be able to browse the fridges as it looks to manage shoplifting. The bakery giant has trialled removing fridges and putting all chilled items behind the counter in five branches across the UK to prevent theft.
Workers have highlighted just how bad the issue was, and according to a Sun investigation, thieves were targeting some shops every 20 minutes. A worker from a Greggs in Whitechapel, east London, said: “The stealing before was so bad. I couldn’t put a number on how many thieves came in every day.”
Last month in Upminster, East London, a person reportedly snatched items from its fridges, telling staff: “You’re going to chuck it away anyway.”
Other shops have introduced full-time security guards or fitted bank-style screens at the counter to prevent thieves from taking its famous pastries.
Greggs explained: “This is one of a number of initiatives we are trialling across a handful of shops which are exposed to higher levels of anti-social behaviour. Safety of our colleagues and customers remains our number one priority.”
The Greggs flagship Leicester Square previously hired a bouncer to protect their sausage rolls from thieves, while some branches were equipped with body cameras after a reported rise in theft.
