Retailers Lock Up Chocolate in the UK as Rising Theft Costs Supermarkets Hundreds of Thousands of Pounds

Chocolate theft has become the latest headache for UK retailers, with high-value bars now locked in plastic boxes to prevent thieves from walking off with entire shelves.

Supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and the Co-Op have all adopted the security measure as shoplifting of chocolate rises to alarming levels.

The Rising Cost of Chocolate Fuels Crime

Rising chocolate prices are making bars an attractive target for thieves.

According to the Office for National Statistics, prices of chocolate have jumped more than 17% in the year to October 2025.

A 180g bar of Cadbury Dairy Milk now costs around £2.75, and Galaxy bars are roughly £3.00 — an increase that mirrors the growing value for resale on illicit markets.

Retailers say the crime isn’t just petty theft.

The Heart of England Co-Op reported losing £250,000 to chocolate theft last year alone, with chocolate now the group’s most stolen product after alcohol.

Chief Executive Steve Browne said that an individual thief could swipe thousands of pounds’ worth of chocolate in just a week, leaving stores to absorb the losses.

High-Profile Theft Cases Make Headlines

Recent months have seen brazen chocolate heists across the country.

In Swindon, serial thief David Munday was jailed for 16 months after stealing a display stand of chocolate on Christmas Day and pleading guilty to 31 separate offences.

In the West Midlands, Timothy Little was sentenced to more than five years after repeatedly stealing chocolate from the same store over eight days.

Cambridge police also reported a man being caught with a coat full of Cadbury’s Creme Eggs.

Retailers and police say these are not isolated incidents.

Confectionery is increasingly “sold to order” through criminal networks, making chocolate the new high-value target for organised thieves.

Retailers Fight Back With Security Measures

In response, shops have implemented a range of measures.

Plastic boxes for chocolate, AI-powered CCTV, and reduced stock on display are becoming the norm.

Sunita Aggarwal, who runs stores in Leicester and Sheffield, said her shelves are now only half-filled and promotional end-of-aisle displays have been removed to reduce losses.

Similarly, Fiona Avenal Malone, operating in Tenby, Wales, reported losing £200-£300 a week to chocolate theft, with surveillance footage capturing multiple offenders in action.

Paul Cheema, owner of Malcom’s convenience stores in Coventry, described the trend bluntly: “Chocolate is the new buzzword for organised crime.

It used to be razors, cheese, coffee — now chocolate is primetime.”

Impact on Staff and the Wider Retail Sector

The problem doesn’t just hit the bottom line.

Retail workers face abuse and intimidation while dealing with theft, with the British Retail Consortium reporting 5.5 million detected shoplifting incidents last year and 1,600 daily cases of violence or abuse against staff — the second highest on record.

James Lowman, CEO of the Association of Convenience Stores, highlighted that stolen confectionery often funds wider criminal activity.

He stressed that shopkeepers need more police support and that repeat offenders should face stronger sentences to disrupt illicit resale networks.

What’s Next?

Retailers and law enforcement are now working to tackle chocolate theft systematically.

More investment in security technology, better cooperation with police, and stricter penalties for organised shoplifters are expected to be key strategies.

Meanwhile, shoppers may continue to see high-value items like chocolate locked away or kept under closer watch.

With the rise of illicit markets and rising product prices, chocolate theft looks set to remain a serious issue in UK retail for the foreseeable future.

Summary

By CLAIRE DUFFIN – SENIOR REPORTER
Published: 06:29 EST, 24 February 2026 | Updated: 08:28 EST, 24 February 2026

UK retailers are cracking down on chocolate theft as bars increasingly disappear from supermarket and convenience store shelves.

High-value chocolate, rising in price, is now being locked in plastic boxes and monitored with AI CCTV, with thieves stealing stock “to order” for resale.

Heart of England Co-Op, Sainsbury’s, and others report significant losses, while law enforcement highlights the link between stolen confectionery and wider organised crime.

Staff face abuse during theft incidents, and experts call for stronger policing and sentencing.

Security measures are expanding, but chocolate theft remains a growing challenge for UK stores.