Refills, riots and cats: this month in grocery on TikTok

New normal alcohol aisle

@9hundredand11 Did you ever think we would need these measures in place… #london #security #shopping #9hundredand11 ♬ A Summer Place - Hollywood Strings Orchestra

User @9hundredand11 shared the new reality of shopping for alcohol in London: a wall of spirits locked in individual metal mesh cages, each with anti-theft alarms and in a closed cabinet that requires staff assistance to access. As crime rates in supermarkets surge, retailers are ramping up security measures, with Tesco’s set-up showing the growing concern over theft.

Shoplifting incidents in UK supermarkets have skyrocketed, with 30% of consumers witness an incident of theft in the past year, according to Retail Insight. Scotland alone recorded its highest level of shoplifting in a decade, said the Recorded Crime in Scotland 2023-24 report. Tesco’s approach of securing alcohol reflects the broader trend in supermarkets, with shoppers calling out Lurpak butter and even baby formula with over-the-top anti-theft devices. The video poster points out that at his local Booths up north, such extreme measures would never happen, hinting at regional disparities and profiling in crime prevention tactics.

The video received 263k views, with comments on the video varying in tone. User @cragiebaby wrote: “My locals recently installed these and shop staff are saying there is a 96% reduction in thefts. Makes you wonder how much was being stolen,” while @pedrathegoat said: “well the law won’t protect retailing so they have to do it themselves”.

These enhanced security measures may reduce theft, but they also add friction to the shopping experience, requiring customers to ring a bell and wait for staff.

Read more:

• Au Vodka replaces stock after Tenby store shoplifting video goes viral

• Holland & Barrett adding more cameras to stores as crime levels surge

• What the King’s Speech retail crime commitment means for employers

 

Refill revolution

@gavinwren

Are you a refiller? ♻️

♬ original sound - Gavin Wren

In a recent TikTok video with more than 100,000 views, food policy specialist and grocery influencer Gavin Wren wrapped up all the major changes to UK supermarkets’ refill schemes in force in August, questioning if perhaps they’re more about optics than impact. Wren’s video digs into the practicality of refill stations for products like laundry liquid, pasta and cereals, highlighting inconsistent processes and lack of shopper incentives as major hurdles to consumer uptake. 

The debate comes as Ocado became the latest retailer to take a stab at reusable packaging, aiming to make eco-shopping easier by throwing its tech prowess at the problem – taking the faff of containers off consumers. Brick-and-mortar supermarkets have struggled to keep their trials afloat this month with Lidl quietly ending its reusable packaging pilot and Asda scrapping its flagship four-store trial of refill aisles involving big-name brands like PG Tips, Kellogg’s, Radox and Persil after it was revealed they were making just £1,000 a week. Wren’s critique adds to recent scrutiny of whether these schemes truly reduce packaging waste or are simply greenwashing efforts designed to earn praise from eco-conscious shoppers while never fully investing in feasibility.

With supermarkets under pressure to deliver on sustainability promises, Wren’s TikTok raises a crucial question: are refill schemes a genuine step forward, or just another gimmick?  “It’s all to do with price for me! For example, as long as the prices of the goods are on par with the packages ones, and offer the same deals/offers, I’d be happy to try refill stations”, commented @anubisthemainecoon. While user @elliottslab wrote: “Need standard packaging between multiple brands and you get money back for giving them back in, having to refill yourself takes up to much room in store.” The conversation is far from over, and as Wren suggests, whether a retailer’s scheme succeeds or fails may all depend on how easy the process is for the consumer. The real test will be whether shoppers are willing – and able – to make the switch.

Read more:

• Can new Ocado pilot finally crack the code of refillable packaging?

• Why supermarkets must scale up refillables at ‘frightening’ speed

• Supermarkets should sell 30% of products as refills by 2035, says Wrap

• ‘Game-changing’ reusable packaging initiative delayed

 

Mums go to Iceland. Cats go to Sainsbury’s?

@sonnyharrisonn I just know shes expensiveeee #cat #catdistributionsystem #sainsburys #clapham #claphamsouth #russianblue ♬ original sound - sonnyharrison

Sainsbury’s shopper @sonnyharrisonn was followed into his local shop by a friendly cat seen casually walking around the fresh meat aisle of the Clapham South store. The video, with over 256k views, caught the attention of user @audriannaleung, who revealed in the comments section that the curious cat was her Scottish Fold x British Shorthair, who apparently is a frequent visitor to the store.

With retail news often dominated by supply chain challenges and cost of living pressures, the light-hearted content of this unexpected and very cute guest went viral. Comments included ”she’s clocking in for her shift”, ”He’s shopping” and ”The signs outside says no dogs nothing about cats”.

Read more:

• Sainsbury’s adding AI to checkouts as part of ‘next generation’ till upgrade

• The people’s CEO: how Simon Roberts changed Sainsbury’s culture

• What can we learn from Sainsbury’s market share growth?

 

The voice of Clubcard

@emscass Tesco club card price #voiceover #studio #bts #work ♬ original sound - emscass

TikTok creator @emscass has revealed herself as the voice behind Tesco’s in-store Clubcard adverts, giving shoppers a behind-the-scenes look at the familiar voice that urges them to snag those Clubcard deals. Her video, which has captured the attention of over one million TikTok users, highlights the growing influence of retail media in supermarkets.

Tesco’s in-store radio is part of the broader retail media boom, with supermarkets turning their aisles into ad space as a new revenue stream. Tesco has predicted retail media will be bigger than TV advertising by the end of 2025, with major players like Sainsbury’s and Asda also launching and upgrading their own media networks. The familiar voice of @emscass is a key part of Tesco’s strategy, but it doesn’t stop with in-store radio. Digital screens have been popping up everywhere, with Tesco expected to more than treble the number across its estate to 6,000 by the end of this year.

As retail media continues to grow, it’s not just about ads – it’s about creating a shopping experience that resonates with customers. However, shoppers like @matt21284 say ”I want silence in a supermarket” and @daniellecotty adds: “I will deliberately not buy the things they tell me to try.” Tesco employees commented on the video too: “so YOU’RE the one i hear when im debating my life choices working in Tesco” noted @flute.salad2. “I actually hate your voice I work at Tesco and every time it comes on I actually when to cut my ears off. No offence” said @gr4peface. Perhaps ads aren’t for everyone.

Read more:

• What happens when retail media overtakes TV advertising?

• Sainsbury’s to upskill brands on the ‘power’ of retail media networks

• Brands need educating on the retail media opportunity

• Does retail media spell the end for the gondola end?

 

Far-right riots

@jbreal0

♬ original sound - LASH PASH

The beginning of August saw far-right riots sweep the nation. A video by @jbreal0 captures a chaotic scene from protesters in Manchester on 3 August, showing rioters aggressively kicking at the glass door of a what appears to be a vape shop. The glass door held, but the incident underscores the growing threat to retailers as political unrest escalates.

With supermarkets and convenience stores caught in the crossfire, retailers are increasingly becoming targets, facing not just theft but vandalism and racial intimidation from violent demonstrations. The video, with over seven million views, is a striking example of the abuse faced by retailers, as businesses brace for potential damage amid the unrest. Last month the retail industry welcomed the government’s move to make attacking a shopworker a standalone offence, revealed in the King’s Speech.

Nisa MD Peter Batt told The Grocer: “It is crucial that independent retailers are included in these protections and are able to share in the additional police resourcing. The 2024 ACS Crime Report revealed 87% of colleagues in convenience stores faced verbal abuse, including around 76,000 violent incidents against retail staff. Independent shops play a vital role on our high streets and deserve the same protection and support.”

User @tailless__beast commented: “this is no protest, they just wanna steal”. With retail crime already on the rise due to the cost of living crisis, the added threat from politically and racially motivated violence puts extra pressure on store security measures and the physical and mental health of shopworkers.

Read more:

• Race riots could expedite reform of workplace harassment laws

• Compensation call for delivery riders caught up in far-right riots

• Retailers reeling after week of far-right riots

• Riots force retailers to once again demonstrate their resilience