The Co-op has introduced GPS trackers on sausages as part of a crackdown on theft. A customer posted a photo of the meat aisle on X, formerly Twitter, showing sausages in locked Perspex boxes with a tracker attached.
The customer wrote: "Sausages in locked Perspex boxes with a GPS tracker where I live in the wilds of Sussex. Britain has fallen." A Co-op spokesperson responded: "We know the tide of criminality can be turned. Local shops are an anchor in communities, and we continue to invest significantly in wide-ranging safety and security measures, including the latest CCTV, body-worn cameras, fortified kiosks, security cases and covert and non-covert guarding."
Retail Crime Concerns
British Retail Consortium chief executive Helen Dickinson said: "Violence remains endemic. No-one should go to work fearing for their safety, and we must redouble our efforts to bring these numbers much further down once and for all. Theft remains a huge issue, with an increasingly concerning link to organised criminal gangs, who continue to systematically target one store after another, stealing tens of thousands of pounds worth of goods in one go. Retailers, the police and government must continue to work together, building on the great work done so far, focusing on consistent enforcement, better data and intelligence sharing, and targeted action against prolific offenders and organised gangs."
Store Manager's Experience
One Co-op store manager in London said items taken from his store were being offered for sale to customers in the pub next door. He added: "It's ridiculous. They are selling cheap steaks and roast dinners because he's got them all for free."
Shopper's Reaction
Co-op shopper Dyan John, 46, described the move as "bonkers", noting he had never seen anything as "crazy". He told Need To Know: "Talk about a steak out. I've never seen anything as crazy as lamb chops being protected by GPS tracking. I can just imagine boffins at NASA sitting in front of a big screen showing the UK. And little dots moving around showing where the lamb cutlets are. It's bonkers."
Inspector Oliver Vale of Nottinghamshire police told the podcast Retail Crime Uncovered: "We're quite confident to say that convenience stores or smaller independents are actually giving [the thieves] a shopping list."
