UK retailers are alienating their own customers with inconvenient and intrusive security measures. Given the impulse nature of convenience shopping, the implementation of these newer surveillance and restrictive merchandising strategies could be as damaging to profits as the theft itself, according to the latest insights from GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
Note: The chart shows the proportion of consumers that stated their shopping habits would be greatly affected, they would be deterred from purchasing or would not purchase at all, due to the stated security measures. Data is derived from GlobalData’s August 2025 monthly survey of 2,000 UK respondents.
Retailers are scrambling to stem an epidemic of shoplifting, with 43% of UK shoppers having witnessed more shoplifting in the past year*, but their efforts are in danger of backfiring. Privacy-invasive technologies, such as facial recognition and VAR-style cameras, deter customers from shopping instore with 35% and 26% of UK consumers expressing discomfort towards these measures, respectively. Consumers are also put off from shopping in stores by newer physical shoplifting security measures, highlighting how these features directly interfere with convenience and accessibility. This suggests that both physical barriers and surveillance measures make customers feel as though they are being monitored and treated like potential criminals, simply for shopping.
Aliyah Siddika, retail analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Intensifying security measures to prevent shoplifting risks driving away legitimate customers. Convenience stores are at a higher risk of alienating customers due to the nature of impulse and top-up shopping habits by consumers in these locations. The challenge of balancing implementation of visible deterrents without eroding margins or losing sales will require convenience retailers to adopt less intrusive measures.”
To combat shoplifting effectively, convenience retailers must adopt several proactive strategies, such as contracting security guards and reducing lone working on the shopfloor. Notably, the presence of security guards is perceived as the least intrusive security measure, with only 17% of consumers reporting that it would greatly affect their shopping habits*, aligning with the UK police’s recommendation for retailers to deploy staff to greet customers upon entry.
Siddika concludes: “Human-led security measures create a less hostile atmosphere than technology-driven measures while effectively deterring potential thieves. Adopting these simpler strategies can also reduce ongoing operating costs compared with investing in and maintaining new technologies. Hiring a few extra staff can be scaled up or down as needed, whereas tech investments are typically larger, less flexible up front, and carry ongoing maintenance expenses. This approach enables convenience stores to enhance theft prevention and improve staff safety while helping protect tight profit margins.”
*GlobalData’s August 2025 monthly survey of 2,000 UK respondents
