Greggs has begun removing self-service fridges from stores in a crackdown on soaring shoplifting and staff attacks.
The bakery chain is trialling a new layout in branches including West Croydon, Peckham, Whitechapel and Upton Park in London, as well as sites in Birmingham and Wilford in Nottinghamshire.
Under the changes, all products are kept behind counters, with staff required to hand items directly to customers - preventing thieves from helping themselves.
At the newly refurbished West Croydon branch, only small items such as sugar sachets, napkins and stirrers remain freely accessible.
“It’s a bit grim but they’ve clearly had enough of shoplifters,” one customer told The Sun.
If successful, the scheme could be rolled out across Greggs’ 2,700-plus UK stores.
The move comes after a series of violent incidents targeting staff.
At the West Croydon branch, one worker had scalding tea thrown in their face, while a security guard was attacked with a belt in a separate incident.
The bakery chain is trialling a new layout in branches including West Croydon, Peckham, Whitechapel and Upton Park in London
|GETTY
Employees said problems have been fuelled by people gathering outside stores.
“The branch has struggled because of all the homeless outside taking drugs and drinking alcohol who come in and help themselves,” one worker said.
Staff at the Peckham store said the changes have improved their working conditions, with one employee noting the system “does make life easier”.
The overhaul comes amid a surge in retail crime across England and Wales.
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The overhaul comes amid a surge in retail crime across England and Wales
| GETTYShoplifting offences have risen by 133 per cent over five years, with more than 530,000 cases recorded in 2024/25 - up from around 228,000 in 2020/21.
Despite the rise, fewer than one in five cases resulted in charges last year.
The Metropolitan Police recorded the lowest charge rate, at just 6.5 per cent.
Liberal Democrat MP Max Wilkinson said: “Our communities deserve better than the surge of shoplifting that’s ransacking our local high streets.
One man stole goods dozens of times from a single store in west London, with CCTV showing him filling bags with drinks
|MET POLICE
“Retail workers have in too many cases been left to fend for themselves as hundreds of thousands of shoplifters get away scot-free.”
Greggs has also faced repeated thefts by prolific offenders.
One man stole goods dozens of times from a single store in west London, with CCTV showing him filling bags with drinks while staff were unable to intervene.
He later admitted multiple thefts and received a suspended prison sentence.
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