The surge in shoplifting is becoming an urgent issue for retailers. With the crime up 25% in the past year, the police recorded more than 365,000 theft offences against businesses, putting staff and profits at risk.

Retailers are sounding the alarm. The Co-op noted that thieves cost it £33m in the first half of 2023, while Dame Sharon White, outgoing chair of John Lewis Partnership, recently labelled shoplifting an “epidemic” that cost her business an additional £12m year on year.