Holland & Barrett Deploys Undercover Detectives to Catch Honey Thieves

Holland & Barrett has enlisted undercover detectives as part of a crackdown on a growing wave of shoplifting targeting its premium products.

The health and wellness retailer has brought in plain-clothes operatives to identify and deter organised thieves who are increasingly stealing high-value, easy-to-conceal items such as Manuka honey and specialist nutritional supplements.

"The behaviour on the high street is just not acceptable," said Holland & Barrett chief executive Anthony Houghton.

"It's awful that we have to do this," he told The Times.

The retailer has also partnered with retail crime intelligence company Auror, which analyses theft patterns and identifies stores most vulnerable to criminal activity, helping direct additional security resources where they are needed most.

Among the products most frequently targeted are compact, premium-priced items, including sports nutrition supplements such as a 480g organic bone broth powder retailing for £54. The company says these products are often stolen for resale through illicit markets.

Holland & Barrett's latest annual report also highlighted a rise in incidents involving abuse and violence towards staff. As a result, all employees now wear body-worn cameras while at work.

Retailers across Britain continue to grapple with record levels of shoplifting. More than 530,000 offences were recorded last year, the highest figure on record.

The rise follows more than a decade of increasing retail theft after changes introduced in 2014 meant offences involving goods worth less than £200 were often treated as lower priority. The Labour government has since removed that threshold.

Lucy Whing, crime policy adviser at the British Retail Consortium, said persistent offenders and organised criminal gangs continue to target retailers across the country.

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

Whing added that greater intelligence sharing between retailers and stronger enforcement are essential to tackling the retail crime epidemic affecting Britain's high streets.

Other major retailers have also introduced new measures to combat theft. Greggs removed self-service display cabinets from several London stores in April after a sharp rise in shoplifting and anti-social behaviour.

Meanwhile, the Co-op has fitted GPS trackers to selected everyday products, including Cumberland sausages, to monitor theft. The supermarket previously said the initiative contributed to a 21 per cent reduction in retail crime.

Holland & Barrett did not provide further comment.

Broadgate Legal