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In several shops across the UK, chocolate bars are increasingly being secured inside plastic lockboxes as retailers and police report a rise in thefts involving these items. Sainsbury’s, for instance, has introduced locked boxes specifically for products frequently targeted by thieves, including £2.60 Cadbury Dairy Milk bars in some London locations. This move comes amid growing concerns over criminals stealing chocolate to resell it on illicit markets.
The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) highlighted that chocolate theft is becoming more common, with offenders repeatedly targeting these items. Although the National Police Chiefs’ Council did not comment on the scale of the issue, individual police forces confirmed seeing a trend in chocolate-related thefts. Some forces have even shared videos of chocolate thefts in an effort to raise awareness. Cambridgeshire Police pointed out that chocolate joins other high-value items like alcohol, meat, and coffee as frequent targets for thieves, adding that retail theft has severe consequences not only for businesses but also for employees who face abuse and intimidation.
Retailers have responded by increasing security measures. Alongside Sainsbury’s, Tesco and the Co-Op have started using transparent lockable boxes that require staff assistance to open. The Heart of England Co-Op, which operates 38 stores in the Midlands and surrounding areas, reported losing £250,000 to chocolate theft last year. Their chief executive, Steve Browne, described it as a “massive issue,” noting that a single individual can cause thousands of pounds in losses by simply taking entire shelves’ worth of chocolate. The group has invested £3 million in security enhancements to curb these thefts.
Smaller shopkeepers are also adapting to this challenge. Sunita Aggarwal, who runs two convenience stores in Leicester and Sheffield, has cut down the amount of chocolate on display, installed over 30 CCTV cameras, and uses AI technology to detect known shoplifters. Similarly, Fiona Avenal Malone, owner of a store in Tenby, Wales, reports losing between £200 and £300 weekly due to chocolate theft. She expressed frustration over witnessing the thefts on CCTV after noticing entire lines of chocolate bars disappear. The rising concern has led many retailers and police to call for stronger law enforcement support and harsher penalties for repeat offenders, as well as efforts to dismantle the networks that facilitate the resale of stolen confectionery products
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