Tesco becomes latest UK supermarket to make major change at self-service checkouts in bid to crackdown on shoplifting
TESCO has become the latest retailer to launch VAR-style replays at self-checkouts – after their rivals successfully used them to stop brazen thefts.
A camera above scan-and-go tills records packing actions and uses AI to detect when an item may not have been scanned properly.
It then shows shoppers an instant replay of themselves failing to scan the products.
The move is thought to have already cut some self-checkout thefts at Sainsbury’s, where the footy ref aid-inspired cameras were quietly introduced last month.
Supermarket bosses believe thieves who can see their illegal actions have been caught red-handed are far more likely to pay for them instead.
It is unclear when the kit was added to Tesco tills, but any would-be robbers attempting to take from the stores now see the message: “The last item wasn’t scanned properly.
“Remove from bagging area and try again.”
If the measure is successful, lock-boxes and security stickers, which are typically reserved for high-value items, could finally be removed from everyday goods like teabags, chocolate and tins of Spam.
A retail source said: The early indications are that this is working and it is an effective measure.
“This is different to a live camera because many shoplifters assume nobody is watching.
“If your attempted theft has been clipped up and replayed to you seconds later, you know you might only have two options.
“One is to pay, and the other is to get caught.
“A great deal of shoplifters simply will keep going, whatever the stores do.
“But it will deter some, and much like Tesco’s slogan, every little helps.”
In February, Tesco unveiled a specialist security centre at its warehouse in Daventry, Northants, which monitors the unbelievable shoplifting crime wave 24 hours a day.
The multi-million pound centre is the beating heart of the retailer’s shrink transformation team, who are responsible for hunting Britain’s marauding criminals.
Security boss Emma Sparrock said: “Our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our colleagues and customers has never been stronger.
“This move is a symbol of our team’s growth, and we’re ready to face what lies ahead with a renewed sense of purpose and determination.”
A record 516,971 shoplifting incidents were logged by police in 2024 — up from 429,873 in 2023.
Yet only a fifth resulted in a charge, while more than half of the investigations ended with no suspect identified.
Tom Ironside, of the British Retail Consortium, said shoplifting was costing £2billion a year with rising violence and abuse against staff.
A Tesco spokeswoman said: “We are always looking at technology to make life easier for our customers.
“We have recently installed a new system at some stores which helps customers using self-service checkouts identify if an item has not been scanned properly, making the checkout process quicker and easier.”
It comes after a huge supermarket chain revealed major changes across its nearly 2,400 stores – but it will leave shoppers divided.
And Morrisons announced a change coming to all of its UK stores, with new “premium” offers for shoppers.
