GPS trackers fitted to sausages, steak, and beef in supermarkets due to shoplifting fears
A supermarket chain is tagging groceries such as sausages, steaks and beef with GPS tracking devices to prevent theft.
The co-operative sausages, which cost under £4, are locked in plastic security boxes labeled with GPS tracking devices. Other meat products, such as Angus steak and sirloin steak, are also stored in boxes and protected by the same security device.
Zincir said the crime prevention tactic is not new and, among other measures, contributes to reducing crime.
A spokesperson for the Co-op said: “We know crime trends can be reversed. Local shops are a mainstay for communities and we continue to invest significantly in a wide range of safety and security measures, including the latest CCTV systems, body-worn cameras, hardened kiosks, security safes and undercover and non-covert guards.
“This, together with the establishment of successful partnerships with local policing and increased police involvement, contributed to a more than 20 per cent drop in retail crime levels in the Co-op last year – a trend we see continuing into 2026.”
An image of the sausages shared by media personality Duncan Barkes shows the GPS tracker attached to Co-op Irresistible Cumberland Sausages 400g, which is sold for £3.90 in a shop in Sussex.
Mr Barkes, who hosts a podcast about sausages, said in a post on X: Piercing with a Forkwrote: “England has fallen.”
Co-operative British sirloin steaks costing £7 and Angus beef roast cuts costing £20.90 were also locked in GPS-tagged boxes at a store in Old Street in central London.
Earlier this year, Independent Dairy Milk and Lindt bars are being kept in plastic security boxes in many supermarkets across the country after chocolate became a “high-value target” for theft, it said.
Tesco also locks some of its meats, such as salmon, in security boxes to prevent theft.
The British Retail Consortium reported that 5.5 million shoplifting incidents were detected last year.
GPS tags attached to the box track the location of the product in case it is stolen and reveal the location of the thief. Labels can only be removed from the product upon purchase.
The Co-op said this was one of several ways it was trying to deter thieves.
The chain said overall retail crime at the Co-op was down 21 per cent, anti-social behavior and abuse was down 36 per cent and physical assaults were down 31 per cent.
Independent He asked other large supermarkets if they used GPS tracking boxes. Tesco, Sainsbury’s and M&S did not respond to the request.
Waitrose did not say whether it used GPS trackers, saying it was “commercially sensitive”.
A spokesman for the supermarket said: “We are investing in a range of measures to combat shoplifting, including security tags, lockable lockers and smart shelving technology for high-value items.”
Convictions and sentences for shoplifting in England and Wales rose to an almost decade-high with 48,849 convictions for shoplifting in criminal courts last year; this figure is up 19 percent from 41,014 in 2024.
According to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), there were 509,566 burglary offenses last year; There was a one percent decrease compared to 2024.
The Treasury is reportedly calling on supermarkets to limit increases in food prices, as the rate of increase in food prices is currently at 3 percent.
