Shops locking up chocolate as theft focus shifts in UK

Some major UK stores are locking their chocolate in plastic cases as a national body reports shoplifting is on the rise.

The UK Association of Convenience Stores said retail crime was a "serious and growing issue".

"According to ACS' latest crime insights, the top three most commonly stolen items in convenience retail are: alcohol, confectionery, (and) meat," the body wrote on X.

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While alcohol and meat have already been granted anti-shoplifting protections in the form of protective casings, the BBC has now reported that chocolate is joining them in some stores and chains.

Retail giant Sainsbury's is among them, telling the BBC it was focused on protecting frequently-targeted products.

It's believed that the stolen chocolate is being on-sold by criminal groups.

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The British Retail Consortium reported there were 5.5 million recorded incidents of shoplifting in the country last year, but that the true number, including undetected thefts, was likely much higher.

"Organised criminal gangs are increasingly targeting high-value, easily resold goods, exploiting the lack of consequences from law enforcement," the BRC said in a release.

The cost of the detected shoplifting came to nearly £400 million ($764.7 million).

"Theft remains a huge issue, with an increasingly concerning link to organised criminal gangs, who continue to systematically target one store after another, stealing tens of thousands of pounds worth of goods in one go," BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said.

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