Supermarket thieves target lipstick and corned beef

Small expensive health and beauty products are some of the most commonly stolen supermarket goods according to New Zealand’s biggest chain, and meat has also been a target — but it’s been corned beef rather than prime cuts.

Antoinette Laird, Foodstuffs New Zealand head of external relations, said store owners were more vigilant about areas of their stores where thieves were particularly active.

“The health and beauty aisle is always one which the teams keep an eye on because they’re expensive items,” Laird said.

“Some months ago it was corned beef but generally smaller high-value items are the biggest target,” she said.

Her comments follow Countdown Sylvia Park’s temporary removal this week of Silver Fern Farms meat while theft investigations were carried out.

A Countdown spokeswoman said yesterday the store in Auckland’s Mt Wellington had only taken the measure while it was ascertaining what had happened.

“There was a one-off incident of theft. The team took the product off shelf while they investigated and reviewed what security measures they have in place which is what we do with any theft,” she said. “The product is now back on shelf.”

Laird said there had been no meat theft issues at her firm’s Pak’nSave at Sylvia Park.

But hi-tech surveillance systems were now being used in stores and even carparks to identify criminals and prevent theft, she revealed.

Foodstuffs was working with crime-fighting software company Auror to prevent theft from stores.

“You wouldn’t even know we’re using it,” Laird said of the surveillance systems now employed to target criminals, which includes vehicle licence plate recognition. Store owners can gather known criminals’ vehicle registrations, images of associates, modus operandi, products targeted, time, day and location.