Overview
- John Lewis, which owns Waitrose, confirmed plans to test locked cabinets for high-value alcohol, with trials slated to begin before the end of 2026.
- The smart units track how long doors stay open and when items are removed, then alert staff to suspicious patterns such as attempts to clear shelves.
- Waitrose has not detailed customer access steps, though similar systems at rivals use touchscreens or require a loyalty card scan or phone number before opening.
- The retailer is also testing meat nets and protective screens, and managers are urging staff to avoid physical intervention and use body-worn cameras to capture evidence.
- Police logged around 500,000 shoplifting offences in England and Wales last year, and government plans in the Crime and Policing Bill would toughen treatment of low-value theft and make assaulting a retail worker a specific offence.