Sainsbury’s makes major change at self-service checkouts in bid to crackdown on shoplifting

SHOPPERS who fail to scan items at self-checkouts will see VAR-style replays in a fresh clampdown on thefts.

A camera above records packing actions at the till.

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If an item is bagged illicitly, Sainsbury’s punters are shown the video feed and told: “Looks like that last item didn’t scan.

“Please check you scanned it correctly before continuing.”

The measure has been brought in after police logged 516,971 incidents of shoplifting last year — up from 429,873 in 2023.

Shoppers’ reactions have been mixed, with one saying they were sent the warning because the packet of basil they bought was “too light”.

Another joked: “Thanks to Sainsbury’s, I can now re-live and learn from my packing mistakes.

“I can almost hear (Sky pundit) Jamie Carragher lamenting my positioning.”

A retail source said: “It’s a deterrent to shoplifters.

“Most people have made a genuine mistake while scanning, which is detected by the scales.

“It’s a more gentle reminder than red flashing lights and a member of staff coming over.”

A Sainsbury’s spokeswoman said: "We regularly review the security measures in our stores and our decisions to implement them are based on a range of factors, including offering our customers a smooth checkout experience."

Despite shoplifting being at a record high, just one in five incidents reported resulted in a charge — and more than half ended with no suspect identified.

Tom Ironside, of the British Retail Consortium, said the crime is costing firms £2billion a year.

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