The bakery company Greggs has announced intentions to eliminate self-service checkout systems and place its freshly baked goods behind a counter as part of a fresh initiative designed to cut down on stealing.

Staff will now directly pass food and drink products to customers over a specially constructed counter under this theft-prevention strategy the business is introducing.

This reinforced service approach is being introduced to stop people from departing stores without paying for baked goods, sandwiches and various sweet treats.

The company is running this trial at six sites where there are higher levels of anti-social behavior.

Branches in Peckham, Wilford, White Chapel, Birmingham, Upton Park and Croydon are understood to be currently assessing this method with the aim of substantially cutting theft occurrences.

This comes after comments from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer suggesting that headway may be materialising in tackling retail crime as the government sets out its approach to deal with criminal behaviour harming shops.

Figures indicate shoplifting offences in Hampshire have risen by over 100 percent across a five-year span, with a Member of Parliament calling the situation a surge.

The Prime Minister observed that theft from retailers had fallen slightly in recent figures and supported wider rollout of technology allowing instant sharing of CCTV footage with police.

His comments aligned with a research organisation’s findings showing 67 percent of those found guilty of shoplifting go on to commit further offences within a year, compared with 55 percent before the pandemic.

In his address to the Usdaw shopworkers’ union, Sir Keir stated that it is not acceptable for retail staff to have to put up with customer abuse, that it is not acceptable for workers to feel worried about going to work, and that it is not acceptable for people to have their careers and lives ruined by persistent theft.

A spokesperson for the business explained that this is one of several measures being tested in a small number of shops with higher levels of problematic behavior. The spokesperson added that customers would still be able to choose from the full range of popular, affordable Greggs products, now served from behind the counter.

The trial is presently running on a continuous basis with intentions to broaden the scheme if it proves effective for both workers and shoppers.