One Tesco store has taken an extreme new security measure to combat shoplifting and enhance worker safety. The supermarket branch is now requiring customers to be vetted via CCTV before they can enter the store.
Shoppers are asked to wait outside while staff review the security footage, and only once they've been deemed non-threatening are they allowed inside. This door policy was implemented last week and operates between 6am and 9am, as well as during evening hours.
The store, located on Bristol's North Street, has also removed baskets from the entrance to prevent thieves from filling them up and making a quick getaway.
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The Mirror reports that all Tesco Express branches had remote-control door access systems installed a few years ago, suggesting that more stores could adopt this policy if they deem it necessary. A spokesperson for the company emphasised that the safety of its staff is their "main priority and it had invested tens of millions of pounds in the last four years on other security measures including body-worn cameras, protection screens and digital radios.
One Tesco employee, who chose to remain anonymous, shared with The Sun: "It has got so bad we have to check who is coming in. We know some of them and just don't let them in the shop. They just fill up a basket and laugh at us and say 'you can't catch me' and walk off. It's considerably worse first thing in the morning and last thing at night. It's also quite scary being in the shop knowing that there is nothing you can do to stop them. I think they know that this is the case and that's why they have become so cocky."
This comes as various supermarket chains implement strategies to curb the surge in shoplifting incidents. Last year, M&S reduced the number of items on display, while Co-op introduced "dummy" products for customers to exchange at the checkout.
Sainsbury's now requires shoppers to scan their receipts before exiting the self-service area, and Aldi has enforced a bag search policy in select stores.
