A NEW addition to the Tesco dairy aisle has left shoppers thoroughly cheesed off.
The supermarket chain has locked up an item in security netting at one of its stores in Derby in a bid to deter shoplifters.
The lock-up of Cathedral City’s 550g blocks of mature cheddar has sparked outrage not only from its new layer of protection but from it’s hefty price tag of £5.95.
Shopper Janet Woodrow, 63, told Derbyshire Live: “I don’t know what would be worse, to be honest, the crime of stealing or the crime of selling a block of cheese for nearly six quid.”
The Tesco branch has issued the extra protection amid the cost of living crisis, in which many chains have upped the security on various every day items.
Ian Spittle, 76, added: “I remember when they started putting anti-theft devices on steaks after lockdown, I thought that was silly, but this is just ridiculous.”
Cheese has also been spotted with security tags Aldi in 2022, with customers taking to social media to complain.
One user wrote: “Do you have to ask for a security officer with a key to a shiny cabinet to inspect a lettuce?”
Cheese is supposedly the most stolen item in the world, with Cheddar as the most commonly stolen cheese type, according to Worldmetrics.
In 2018 the data agency published that four percent of the worlds cheese supply was stolen.
But cheese isn’t the only item that Tesco has been ‘going ham’ on in terms of security with some stores locking up the World War Two snack – Spam.
What was once considered a cheap source of protein was imprisoned in anti-theft boxes a London store earlier this month after a price jump to £3.36.
The Greenwich branch marked spam up by 6.7 percent in a year leading to a an increase in shoplifters targeting the pork and ham combo.
Another product that isn’t safe from security measures is the British favourite, Yorkshire Tea, with big multipacks having a yellow ‘security protected’ sticker slapped on.
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said thefts have cost retailers around £1.8 billion in 2022-23.
This is up £953 million form the previous year.
With higher costs of living, inflation, and continued effects from lockdown there has been a nationwide increase of shoplifting.
Stores are therefore taking extra precaution adding anti-theft devices, security officers, and CCTV.
This isn’t the first time Tesco has baffled its shoppers with anti-theft tactics with an Essex store even attaching security tags to the shopping baskets.
One shopper responded: “I mean, what are you going to do with one of them? Is there nothing these people won’t nick?”
Tesco declined to comment, however it is understood that the change has not been introduced at all stores, and is not a universal policy.
