Customers at a Manchester city centre supermarket have been left confused after an unusual selection of products have been spotted in GPS-tracked plastic security boxes - including those on clearance.
Shoppers at Co-op’s Manchester Piccadilly store noticed that certain items, such as salmon and steak, had been given an extra layer of protection from shoplifters.
While the boxes are usually reserved for only the highest-value items, pictures show even clearance meat and fish, being sold for just over £2.50, in large plastic boxes boasting ‘Protected by GPS’.
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One shopper told the Manchester Evening News they were "surprised" to find the items in such heavy-duty boxes.
"I was just searching through the clearance items when I noticed some large boxes at the back," she said. "I pulled them out, thinking, 'what could be in here?'
"When I saw it was just salmon and steak for £2.50 I laughed - it just seemed like such a silly thing to so, especially when the store sells plenty of more expensive items."
Co-op say they have been trialling the use of security boxes on higher-value items for over a year, but any decision to place low-value items under lock and key comes from individual stores.
The boxes are in place to deter shoplifters, and mean that customers must wait for a staff member to unlock the box before they can purchase the item. If they try to run off without paying, the boxes will trigger a security alarm.
Co-op’s kiln roasted salmon fillets, beef sirloin steak, and responsibly sourced salmon appear to be the only meat and fish items selected for extra protection.
The steak, which was originally priced at £4.75, had been reduced to £3.09, and the salmon, which at full-price cost £5.25, was reduced to £2.63.
It comes after a shopper in Middleton was stunned to find protein bars and fake eyelashes in similar boxes in the area’s Tesco Extra.
A spokesperson for Co-op confirmed: “Co-op has been involved in a small scale trial of new packaging for higher value products for well over a year, with the additional security providing a further deterrent if a store locally experiences shoplifting issues.
“The move formed part of our Safer Colleagues campaign which has also succeeded in bringing in stricter sentences for violent incidents against shopworkers.”
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