London supermarkets are storing chocolate bars in anti-theft boxes. The move comes following a rise in shoplifting driven by organized criminal gangs.
The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) reported that prolific criminals are targeting sweets, including £2.60 Cadbury Dairy Milk bars, and stealing them to order.
The stolen treats are then resold on illicit markets, funding broader criminal activity.
To tackle incidents of theft, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Co-op have introduced transparent plastic boxes that can only be accessed with the help of staff.
The Heart of England Co-Op group reported that chocolate theft cost it around £250,000, making it the second most stolen item after alcohol in 2025.
In footage recently shared by Wiltshire Police, a man was seen dragging an entire shelf of chocolate out of the door of a shop. In a separate incident, Cambridgeshire Police arrested an individual wearing a coat stuffed with Cadbury’s cream eggs.
Across the country, the British Retail Consortium reported 5.5 million recorded incidents of shoplifting, as well as 1,600 violent incidents against retail workers daily.
The ACS urges the government to increase police support and toughen penalties. The National Police Chiefs Council stated that its retail crime strategy is helping to generate intelligence and bring criminals to justice.
