Waitrose and John Lewis are offering free coffees and other hot drinks to on-duty police officers amid a rise in shoplifting.
The drinks are aimed at encouraging a police presence in order to make thieves “think twice” about stealing goods, said the head of security at the John Lewis Partnership, which owns the John Lewis and Waitrose brands.
Nicki Juniper said: “Retailers across the board are seeing a rise in crime. This isn’t driven by a need to put food on the table, but rather professional shoplifters stealing for greed over need.”
Staff have also reported an increase in aggression from shoppers since the pandemic, according to the retailer.
It is hoped that free coffee will increase chances of a visible policing presence near stores as “even just having a police car parked outside can make people think twice about shoplifting”, Juniper said.
Retailers have lost £1bn to shoplifting in the past year, according to figures from the industry body the British Retail Consortium. The number of thefts rose 26% in the past year.
Police and community support officers can only take up the offer at Waitrose cafes if they bring a reusable cup, the retailer said.
