As shoplifting incidents escalate, with police executives acknowledging there’s little benefit in arresting offenders, individuals and retail personnel are compelled to address the issue themselves.

As innocent bystanders begin to confront suspected shoplifters, Lancashire Constabulary recently advised business proprietors to greet shoplifters upon entry, which could serve as a deterrent.

In addition, employees have devised their own discreet strategies to apprehend them, like offering a basket to individuals who arouse suspicion.

Renowned retailers such as Iceland, Superdrug, and Boots are sharing their anti-shoplifting strategies in hopes of safeguarding their outlets from being affected by this prevalent issue.

Staff in Iceland have resorted to locking suspected thieves inside stores to stop them escaping with bags full of produce. 

A viral TikTok video depicted a security guard sealing the sliding doors as another employee engaged a shoplifter and attempted to retrieve the stolen items.

To the surprise of the thief’s companion, store staff firmly held onto the apprehended shoplifter, prompting the accomplice to pound on the entrance, insisting on their release.

Dressed in a fleece dressing gown with the hood up, the irate shopper shouted: ‘Get off her man, come on, don’t do that to her man. Why are you locking the door on her?’.

She also yelled at the guards through the door asking them not to ‘hold her like that’ because ‘she’s a woman’. 

Inside, the security guard could be seen collecting several items from the floor and handing them back to shop staff. 

People in the comments asked whether the guard was allowed to detain the shoplifter but many more jumped to Iceland’s defence and said the staff were within their rights to make a citizen’s arrest. 

A citizen’s arrest or an arrest without a warrant can be made if a person is in the act of committing an indictable offence or there are reasonable grounds for suspecting they are or might be about to.

Offence include theft, burglary and criminal damage.

Government advice warns that such arrests should only be made if a police officer cannot do it and if the person might cause harm to themselves or others, cause loss or damage to a property or escape before police arrive. 

While some supermarkets and shops are using citizens arrests to deter thieves, others are opting for a softer approach. 

Beauty chain Superdrug have taken to social media with a tongue in cheek campaign warning shoplifters that they are constantly being watched. 

In one clip, filmed by two staff members at a store in Stourport, outside Worcester, two sales assistants point to their headsets and body worn cameras to show potential thieves that they are being monitored and staff can communicate with each other. 

The video ends with them holding up a basket to the camera and pointing at it and then at the screen to indicate shoppers should use a basket. 

A video featuring staff from a shop in Halifax, west Yorkshire, showed the measures taken by the store to deter shoplifters. 

It followed one staff member as they followed and watched a potential thief who browsed products including a luffa and nail varnish.

They appeared in various poses, hiding behind stands and crouching down as the Mission Impossible theme tune played over the clips. 

As well as watching closely, staff member Caitlin revealed Superdrug stores deter shoplifters by asking if they need any help.

High Street pharmacy Boots has also taken to TikTok to promote its Stop, Think, Don’t Shoplift campaign. 

 

In the minute-long video, a staff member at the Boots in the Arnison Centre, Durham, poses as a shoplifter and goes around the shop pretending to steal items while staff show how they tackle possible thefts.

The clip starts by staff greeting the potential thief at the door, smiling, waving and saying hello.

They then approach them as they shop, asking if they need any help as they pick up and put down various items. 

The Durham-based shop also showed off their rotating hooks which they say stops ‘pesky thieves’ and the security tags and plastic packaging on their beauty products which are difficult to remove. 

The high street chain has also instituted a rule of only three of each item, making it harder for shoplifters to grab a shelfful of expensive products and make a dash. 

The clip then shows the member of staff approaching the pretend thief and offering them a basket so it’s easier to keep an eye on what they have taken.

In another snippet, the fake shoplifter tried to open up luxury products but is fooled by an empty box, with the store advising other locations to use ‘dummy boxes’ provided by the beauty companies and to security tag the actual items. 

The video ended by a member of staff telling the would-be thief to ‘stop’ and ‘think’, resulting in the customer going through their pockets and bag and handing over an item they had attempted to steal. 

A store in Nottingham has also taken matters into their hands and installed CCTV to catch out shoplifters. 

A guard, watching live footage, issues announcements over the tannoy system telling thiefs they’ve been spotted and to return any stolen items meaning that stock is kept safe and instances of confrontation are avoided. 

The efforts of shopkeepers up and down the UK come after the total thefts reached 530,643 in the year to March, at an estimated cost of £1.8bn to retailers. 

Last year, Lancashire Police launched Operation Vulture, which encouraged businesses to use ‘customer greeters’ to cut down on crime.  

An online guide called How to Deter a Shoplifter, the force advised: ‘By greeting genuine shoppers, not only does this provide a positive impression of your store, it also deters potential shoplifters.

‘An offender is less likely to shoplift if they sense that they are to be seen and noticed by staff.’

But the advice was criticised by another policing chief has seemingly admitted that there is little deterrent for shoplifters because they are so often freed by courts to steal again.

Katy Bourne, the national lead for shoplifting at the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, said: ‘People have got to know that they’re going to get caught and that there’s a meaningful deterrent when they do it. There is no point arresting shoplifters if there is no effective deterrent.’

Insisting that it is ‘madness’ that the thieves blighting Britain’s retailers are often not being put behind bars, Ms Bourne told The Telegraph: ‘People have got to know that they’re going to get caught, and that there’s a meaningful deterrent when they do.

‘There is no point arresting shoplifters if there is no effective deterrent.’