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Primark UK has started trialling a new anti-theft measure, which sees checkout staff at some of the fashion retailer’s branches seal up paper carrier bags with blue “sold” stickers.
This measure means that any customers carrying bags without the stickers will be stopped at the door by store security guards.
According to a Primark spokesperson, the group will not be disclosing which branches will be participating in this trial.
A spokesperson told Retail Sector: “Antisocial behaviour and retail crime is rising right across the retail industry and we’re working with other retailers and organisations to help tackle this.
“We have a range of security measures in place in our stores and we’re now also trialling some new measures to help prevent stock loss, which includes sealing bags with ‘sold’ stickers once a customer pays for their items at the tills.”
They added: “We’ll be keeping an eye on this and monitoring the impact these new measures have, listening to feedback from our colleagues and customers.”
The news follows retail chiefs from the likes of Primark, Boots and WHSmith calling for the introduction of a specific criminal offence to assault or abuse of shop staff in October 2023.
A survey from the BRC, which organised the letter signed by 90 business leaders, found incidents of violence and abuse towards retail workers nearly doubled in the 2021-22 financial year compared with before the pandemic. Around £953m was estimated to have been stolen from retailers.
