Iceland forced to install drastic device in stores after 'epidemic' hits uk

THE MOVE FROM THE FROZEN FOOD RETAILER, WHICH HAS STORES IN BIRMINGHAM, HAS MADE THE CHANGE THANKS TO A PARTNERSHIP WITH HARRISON RETAIL. 11:43, 22 May 2025 Iceland has been forced to bring

in new ‘steak dispensers’ to protect high-value cuts and other fresh meat items. The move from the frozen food retailer, which has stores in Birmingham, has made the change thanks to a

partnership with Harrison Retail. It has rolled out the change to 30 Iceland and Food Warehouse stores over the past year in a bid to cut shrinkage. The “upright” theft-deterring dispenser

holds Iceland’s 12oz and 16oz steak ranges, Iceland says. And it uses a “controlled retrieval” flap for customers to use. “Working with Harrison Group has been an exceptional experience,”

said Andy Edwards, head of loss prevention & corporate audit, Iceland Foods. READ MORE UK FACES 27C HEATWAVE NEXT WEEK WITH 33 COUNTIES IN ENGLAND SET TO SIZZLE “We developed a chilled,

retail-ready security unit specifically designed to support the sale of fresh steaks.” Iceland executive chairman Richard Walker has been among the retail bosses to criticise the police

response. Article continues below Fresh steaks are among the items most frequently targeted by thieves at the discounter’s stores due to their higher value, causing the retailer “major

losses”, Iceland said, the Grocer reports. It comes as the shoplifting wave has been branded an "epidemic" in the UK. Last year, the Retail Trust charity found that almost half of

1,200 workers they surveyed feared for their safety, while more than a third wanted to leave their jobs or the retail industry because of the rise in violence and abuse. Chris Brook-Carter,

the charity’s chief executive, said: “The incidents we hear about every day are both horrifying and heartbreaking. Article continues below “People tell us they have been spat on, had

products smashed up in front of them and been filmed on their phones by abusive shoppers who then threaten to post the footage on social media.” A total of 516,971 shoplifting offences were

recorded last year in England and Wales, a 20% increase on the 429,873 in 2023, according to the Office for National Statistics. Retailers say the official figures “severely underestimate”

the scale of the problem, which would amount to only two incidents for each shop a year.