Waitrose offers free coffee to police officers in bid to deter thieves
Waitrose offers free coffees to on-duty police officers in bid to deter thieves – as long as they bring a re-useable cup
- Waitrose and John Lewis will give police officers free coffee and discount food
- The scheme is aimed at deterring thieves from Waitrose and John Lewis shops
Waitrose and John Lewis are offering free coffee to police in a bid to deter shoplifters.
The John Lewis Partnership, which owns both brands, is offering on-duty officers free hot drinks and discounted food in-store.
They hope that just having a police car parked outside may be enough to deter would-be thieves.
Dubbed ‘thanks a latte’, the initiative will be available to both police officers and police community support officers.
In John Lewis, free hot drinks and discounted food – including hot meals – will be offered through the staff canteen.
Waitrose and John Lewis will offer police officers free coffee in a bid to deter shoplifters
And in Waitrose, drinks will be handed out from the coffee machines in branches – with recipients asked to bring a reusable cup.
Nicki Juniper, head of security for the John Lewis Partnership, hoped the police presence would make thieves think twice about shoplifting.
He said: ‘We’ve already got great relationships with some local police forces, but want to see this reflected across all our stores.
‘Offering these perks is a win-win; the police already work incredibly hard, so will have more options to take a break, while also building even better relationships with our frontline teams.
‘Likewise, even just having a police car parked outside can make people think twice about shoplifting from our branches, or becoming aggressive towards our Partners.
‘Retail crime is a national problem and requires a national solution – people need to wake up and smell the coffee.’
Thefts in the retail sector jumped 26 per cent last year, according to figures from the British Retail Consortium
The number of reported thefts across the sector jumped by 26 per cent last year, according to figures from the British Retail Consortium.
Violence and abuse against people working in retail has almost doubled on pre-pandemic levels with around 850 incidents every day in Britain, the trade body said.
Ms Juniper added: ‘UK retailers already invest over £700m a year to prevent it but, in instances where this isn’t enough, we simply need greater support.
‘Everyone has a role to play, from the police to the judiciary system and the government. By working together, we can tackle the surge and help retail workers and customers safe.’
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