What supermarkets thieves target and how they're being stopped

Theft is a focus at supermarkets throughout New Zealand.

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, revealed the hottest items and said store owners were more vigilant about certain 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 today 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," the Countdown spokeswoman said today.

"The product is now back on shelf," she said.

"Theft happens from time to time; we have a number of preventative measures across stores," she said.

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, including its New World and Pak'nSaves, she said.

"You wouldn't even know we're using it," Laird said of the surveillance systems now employed to target criminals which includes vehicle license plate recognition.

"We monitor [known offenders] closely when they enter the stores using equipment like CCTV. If something happens, the police are notified and they can be caught efficiently," she said.

Store owners now know criminals' vehicle registrations, images of associates, modus operandi, products targeted, time, day and location.

Laird said the Auror technology was being widely used in Foodstuffs' South Island stores and many North Island supermarkets.

It enables retailers to complete incident reports and provide information to police about shoplifting, she said.

Access is not provided to any official criminal records, history or conviction and no police information was being used, she stressed.

"The past offence history relates to an individual's past history of theft across our stores, so it is what our security teams have witnessed or have reported via the Auror system," she said.