Furious Sainsbury’s shoppers criticised new barriers “detaining” customers who fail to show receipt as “ridiculous”.
The new security gates were first introduced in a small number of stores last December and there was an initial spark of outrage from the public but on a much smaller scale, as it only affected a proportion of customers.
However, now that more stores have rolled out the anti-theft gates, a second wave of anger has broken out, as shoppers have accused Sainsbury’s of placing all its customers “under suspicion of stealing”.
Stores in Balham, South London and Winnersh, Berkshire are amongst some of those impacted by the new move.
Social media users have voiced their complaints online, with many threatening not to return to the store.
Some others pointed out other examples of the same practice in other countries, such as Netherlands and said “Frankly it doesn’t seem that much of an inconvenience?”
Another replied: “The inconvenience isn’t the thing I thought about when I saw the barrier. I wrote about the relationship between shopper and brand changing as distrust is introduced into a store that has been here for over 100 years.”
An interesting dialogue occurred between two social media users, in which one asked: “What happens if you enter, don’t find what you went in to buy, so leave empty handed?”
Another answered: “You can’t leave.”
“What – not ever?”
“Not until you buy something”
“If true, that would constitute false imprisonment. Sounds a tad unlikely.”
Another complained: “I bumped into the barriers! This Sainsbury’s doesn’t let you leave the self-checkout area unless you scan your receipt. How charming.”
While someone else added: “Our Sainsbury’s has also gone DIY and you have to scan your receipt at exit gates, or you can’t get out!! Ridiculous. It also causes a pile up of people waiting when some are slow at doing their scanning job for them!”
The new security measures follow new figures published by the Office for National Statistics last September, which revealed shoplifting had increased by 22% in 2022 compared with the year ending September 2021.
These figures, however, coincide with the growing financial pressures faced by the public amid the cost-of-living crisis – some food items increasing by as much as 50% in the space of a year.
And Sainsbury’s aren’t the only supermarket to roll out the new anti-theft measures, Aldi, Morrisons and Primark have also introduced similar barriers as concerns grow about the rise in theft.
A spokesperson for Sainsbury’s said: “I can confirm that the barrier system is part of our new security measures that we have put into place to make our stores safer, reduce loss and therefore improve availability for our customers.”
They said they will continue to monitor customer’s feedback in relation to this matter.
(Source: LBC and Twitter)
(Photo attribution: Roger Cornfoot / Sainsbury’s and Homebase in Bridgemead, Swindon /
