'They know we're powerless': On the shoplifting front line in Greggs

It is 09:30 BST at Greggs in Bearwood, near Birmingham, and the first shoplifter of the day has already walked out with a can of Red Bull.

Less than 30 minutes later, two men with rucksacks do not bother to hide their faces as they ransack the fridge for more, swearing angrily at a female worker who tries to stop them.

The scene unfolds right in front of our BBC team - we've just arrived to talk to staff and customers about shoplifting.

Workers tell us the brazen 55-second raid is all in a day's work, with offenders targeting the outlet multiple times every day.

Staff are advised to stay behind the counter and do nothing, they say, but still have to face the daily onslaught from persistent thieves who threaten them, sometimes violently, if they attempt to intervene.

The high street bakery and fast food chain has been serving up bakes and sandwiches for 75 years and currently has more than 2,600 stores in the UK.

Greggs says it takes the industry-wide problem of shoplifting "extremely seriously", has enhanced security measures across its outlets and works closely with police.

But regulars in the West Midlands say they witness branches being targeted around the clock, with workers taking the brunt.

"I'm sorry to say, it is getting worse," says Carl Willis, who once saw a thief swipe "boxes of cakes" from the Bearwood branch.

Customer Beryl Hanney says she shouts at the culprits to "put that back, or pay for it".

A third shopper, Alexa Walker, remembers seeing a man shove three baguettes down the back of his jeans.

"They know that the people there can't do anything about it, they're too quick," she says.

One would-be female thief, after she was accosted by a member of staff, went out and kicked a worker's car, Walker says.

"She just went out and chased her and she said, 'right, don't come here. Don't come here again'."

The thieves' motives depend on the location, staff tell us, and they allege some are stealing energy drinks to sell on in local pubs and shops.

"The way they're walking... around the shop and the way they're presenting themselves – you can tell straight away what they're doing," the anonymous staff member says.

Depending on the location or time of day, it might be addicts looking to fund their next hit, or schoolchildren running riot for a laugh.

Staff at another Greggs, in Kings Heath, Birmingham, previously told the BBC a teenage gang had rushed in and stolen armfuls of food, while a female worker was assaulted when she tried to lock them out.

Across the West Midlands, police recorded 31,786 shoplifting offences between 2025 and 2026, the seventh highest rate in England and Wales.

Greggs is no different to other major food retailers - all are continually devising ways to tackle the onslaught of thieves.

But with many of the items at Greggs on open shelves, and staff behind the counter at the far end of the shop, it is seen as easy pickings for opportunists.

The company has already begun shifting food to behind the counter to attempt to curtail shoplifting at selected stores.

In April, it also removed open cabinets in "a very small number" of severely-affected locations, and said a related trial was under way in Birmingham.

One worker, who wishes to remain anonymous, believes the thieves know staff are powerless to stop them.

Most retailers advise workers not to retaliate for their own safety.

"We basically get told ‘it's best not to’," the staff member says. "If we go out and something happens to us, we're not really covered."

There is a concern among workers that police forces are too stretched to deal with shoplifting, leaving workers exposed.

Kathleen Hammond, a customer at the store in Bilston, Wolverhampton, says she has seen children helping themselves to sandwiches on their way to school.

"It does make me angry. It's not right," she says.

"But there again, I can see the other side of it. If they've got no money and they're desperate, they'll do it, won't they?"

Sunny Bhatti, who works at a bookies next door, says he has seen youngsters pulling on face coverings before running in to steal food.

Some do not bother with masks, he says. "The kids are just blatant now.

"Blatant, I think because they get away with it."

Greggs has previously said it is piloting software that shares incident data directly with local police stations to speed up reporting and response.

Rivals Pret a Manger and Costa have hired security staff to deter repeat offenders.

Some branches of Greggs have done the same, including one in Coventry in 2024.

In a statement, Greggs told the BBC: "Shoplifting is an industry-wide issue which we take extremely seriously.

"We have invested in a range of enhanced security measures across our shops and continue to work closely with the police and wider industry bodies to tackle this issue so offenders face consequences."

One female worker says she finds coming to work early on dark mornings intimidating in case she bumps into a shoplifter with a grudge against her.

But they have security cameras and walkie talkies linked to council workers at their disposal.

"Anything happens, we report it on there, report it to the police, then they might come take statements, look at the cameras," the anonymous worker says.

"That's the only way we can tackle it."

West Midlands Police says Sandwell, the borough that covers Bearwood, has a dedicated retail crime team working closely with businesses to bring prolific offenders to justice.

Sgt Jason Walters, from the district's retail crime team, highlights the retail radio scheme which allows businesses to communicate both with police officers and other stores.

There is also CCTV along Bearwood Road, the force says, to improve safety.

"Reporting every shop theft is so important, regardless of the financial value, as it helps build cases against prolific offenders," Walters adds.

"Installing good CCTV gives a stronger chance of offenders being prosecuted as it allows us to capture images and use facial recognition software to identify them."

A Sandwell Council spokesperson describes Bearwood and Wednesbury as "priority locations" for tackling crime and antisocial behaviour and says CCTV coverage is monitored around the clock.

The authority also speaks directly to traders to identify local concerns, they add.

"We continue to encourage businesses to make use of the crime prevention and reporting arrangements available to them.”

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