A survey by Toluna Harris Interactive for The Grocer found that 37% of shoppers admit to stealing from self-service checkouts, with a significant number using tactics like the “banana trick” to disguise expensive items as cheaper ones. The British Retail Consortium noted over 20 million shoplifting incidents in 2024, costing retailers £2.2 billion. Retailers like Co-op, Uniqlo, and Zara are implementing advanced technologies to address this issue.
