Tesco has witnessed a growth in shoplifting as a result of the economic crisis, new figures have said today.
In the first half of the year, Tesco said it caught more than 43,000 thieves stealing from its outlets, a rise of 36% from last year, reports the Financial Times.
Essential items were the most popular to be stolen, the figures revealed.
The news came after the British Retail Consortium warned that retail crime is likely to surge during the credit crunch.
Stephen Robertson, director general, said retailers are prepared for a “rapid rise” in offences as the downturn leads to more people stealing.
Marks & Spencer and Iceland have also said that crime in their stores is also on the rise.
