Staff have told of thieves costing stores thousands, while shoplifters say soaring living costs drove them to crime.

Retail workers and shoplifters are speaking out over a “brazen” new supermarket trend across the country, amid record theft statistics. Staff have told of thieves costing stores thousands, while shoplifters say soaring living costs drove them to crime.

A shift manager in Tesco in the north west of England says one shopper “basically ripped it out the shelf, swept it into a duffel bag and walked out.” She said starting at Tesco 10 years ago, shoplifting was “absolutely nothing compared with what it is now”.

“It’s very brazen,” said another worker. She said that for retail workers, “the scary thing is you don’t know who’s carrying a knife, you don’t know what they’ve got on them.” “I absolutely feel let down by head office,” she said. “They’re passing the buck on to us.”

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A Tesco spokesperson said the safety of customers and colleagues was its “absolute priority” and that the company had invested tens of millions of pounds in safety and security. “Recent measures include installing protective screens, providing body-worn cameras and strengthening door entry systems,” they said.

“We have also invested in developing our central security hub, which is an expert team dedicated to joining up evidence and supporting the police to tackle crime and shoplifting, helping to keep our colleagues and customers safe.”

“It’s literally impossible to keep an eye on this level of theft,” a retail expert told the Guardian newspaper said. Discussing rising prices, the retail analyst told the newspaper: “It’s very noticeable how much things have gone up in the past few years”.

A Co-op customer, meanwhile, “just sauntered out of the store without paying,” a worker said. “It’s the relaxed and carefree manner of the theft that is gnawing away at my mind,” they said. “It seemed like a small act of anarchy – like watching society unravel.”