Waitrose is set to lock bottles of champagne in new 'smart cabinets' as part of an escalating effort by supermarkets to curb the shoplifting epidemic plaguing Britain's high streets. A spokesperson for the supermarket confirmed that the company is 'currently investing in a range of advanced technology, including smart technology, to deter theft'.
As part of this investment, the retailer is 'planning pilot lockable smart cabinets for areas such as spirits and champagne soon'. The spokesperson added: 'We already use smart shelf technology in our health, beauty and spirits aisles, which are able to sense unusual customer behaviour, so this would provide an additional layer of security.'
It has been reported that Waitrose is also trialling 'meat nets' to deter thieves. While the supermarket has not yet specified how its smart cabinets will work, similar self-locking cabinets used by other retailers typically require customers to use a touchpad screen to open them. For instance, smart cabinets tested by Sainsbury's required customers to progress through four different steps to unlock the doors and retrieve the desired item. Other retailers have tested cabinets that can be opened by scanning loyalty cards or inputting phone numbers.
This technology can track how long doors have been opened and whether products have been removed, alerting staff to suspicious activity such as someone emptying the cabinets. The move comes as new figures reveal that Britain's shoplifting epidemic has hit a record high, with more than 500,000 cases recorded in a single year. Police recorded 530,000 offences in England and Wales last year, a 48 per cent increase on pre-pandemic levels.
Retailers estimate the true figure is far higher, as shoplifting has become increasingly organised on 'Britain's broken high streets'. Reoffending rates have also spiralled: 67 per cent of shoplifters go on to commit another offence within the year, compared to just 55 per cent before the pandemic. Experts warn that this reflects a growing scourge of career criminals. The average shoplifter now commits 9.1 offences, nearly double the rate of five years ago, according to analysis by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ).
However, only one in five shoplifting offences resulted in a charge or court summons, meaning the vast majority of thieves faced no formal consequences. The figures, spanning from April 2024 to March 2025, were released following a parliamentary question by CSJ chairman Sir Iain Duncan Smith. The organisation has launched an inquiry seeking to repair Britain's broken high streets.
CSJ researchers have identified a growing link between shoplifting levels and the spread of 'dodgy vape shops and mini-marts' operating as fronts for illegal activity. Meanwhile, one in four independent retailers have reported seeing goods stolen from their shops being resold in their area. Sir Iain, the MP for Chingford and Woodford Green, said Britain is suffering from a 'high street crime wave'.
He added: 'Set against years of economic difficulties, there is a risk that some of our town and city centres are left permanently hollowed out. In my own constituency, rising levels of shoplifting point to a broader social breakdown that is fuelling crime. Shoplifting is not a victimless crime. There must be zero tolerance for criminals who target shopkeepers and undermine our local communities.'
