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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Jonathan Barrett and Josh Taylor

A rise in shoplifting has Australian supermarkets ramping up surveillance

A composite image of a woman shopping surrounded by surveillance cameras
Woolworths and Coles have introduced various types of surveillance to discourage theft in supermarkets. Composite: Getty

Coles supermarkets used to warn customers that stealing was “a crime” with prominently placed signage, before realising shoppers didn’t like being treated as thieves.

After a management rethink, the signs came down, and the stores upgraded their drab 1970s layouts. Many started selling flowers at the entrance for aesthetic purposes, and eventually the shoppers returned.

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