A Tesco supermarket in central London is cracking down on shoplifters by locking £1.10 tubs of Vaseline inside security cases. Workers at the retailer's Russell Square branch introduced the measure after thieves began stealing "whole boxes" to sell in local corner shops, according to reports.
Security Measures Expanded
The 20g containers are now secured within anti-theft 'Alpha' security boxes, which require a sliding magnet operated by employees to unlock. Alongside Vaseline, other products such as £1.90 Nivea moisturiser and £3.30 Fixodent toothpaste are also encased in protective containers.
Social Media Reaction
On TikTok, users expressed shock at the approach. In footage captioned 'Cost of living crisis-maxxing at Tescos', user zhangdynasty exclaimed: "What the actual f*** has the world come to? Why the f*** is this in a security box in Tesco? It's not even £1.50, it's f***ing £1.10!"
Viewers of the clip, which has garnered over 240,000 views, were equally baffled. One user commented: "We have to basically tag everything now because people keep nicking things and the managers get irritated etc." Vaseline's official UK account commented: "FREE THEM!!"
Retail Crime Context
Tesco was contacted for comment. It is understood security protocols are implemented across all branches, with decisions made by individual stores on a case-by-case basis. According to recent data, shoplifting in London has trebled in five years, with only 6.5 per cent of incidents resulting in a charge. Research by the Liberal Democrats found that the Met Police had the lowest charge rate for shoplifting of any force in the country.
Chief Inspector Rav Pathania, the Met's Head of Retail Crime, said: "Retail crime is a top priority for the Met. Last year, we solved nearly double the number of shoplifting cases and made almost 50 per cent more arrests." He added: "These results reflect our relentless approach, the effective use of technology such as facial recognition, and close collaboration with retailers."
