Holland & Barrett hires undercover detectives in some shops

The health and wellness retailer has hired plainclothes private detectives to patrol stores that have high levels of crime.

Anthony Houghton, group chief executive, said: “The behaviour on the high street, it’s just not acceptable.

“It’s awful that we have to do this,” he told The Times.

Manuka honey is among the most frequently stolen items, along with sports nutrition products like protein powders and creatine.

The company is also working with Auror, a retail crime intelligence firm, to supply data on the stores most at risk.

Holland & Barrett reported a “rise in incidents directed at colleagues” in its latest annual report, and now all staff wear on-body cameras.

Lucy Whing, a crime policy adviser at trade body British Retail Consortium (BRC), said firms needed to do more to combat the problem of shoplifting.

Manuka honey is among the most frequently stolen items at Holland & Barrett (Image: Getty Images)

“Theft remains a huge issue, with prolific offenders and organised criminal gangs systematically targeting one store after another,” she said.

Ms Whing added that better intelligence-sharing and robust enforcement by retailers were critical to turning the tide on retail crime.

Holland & Barrett had no further comment to add.

What other shops have implemented shoplifting measures?

Holland & Barrett is not the only retailer to implement anti-shoplifting measures this year.

Back in April, Greggs decided to remove display cabinets at a group of its London stores most targeted by shoplifters.

It came after figures in March showed a year-on-year increase of shop thefts in England and Wales of about 20%.

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Meanwhile, Co-Op fitted GPS trackers to some products, including Cumberland sausages

The firm said earlier this year that the policy had helped reduce overall retail crime in its stores by 21%.

How do you feel about Holland & Barrett hiring undercover detectives for some shops? Let us know in the comments.