Marks and Spencer boss blames self-checkouts for rise in shoplifting among 'good, honest people'

Patrick O'Donnell
Thu, 23 Apr 2026 21:40:11 +0000

Marks and Spencer's chairman has warned that self-checkout machines are contributing to a surge in shoplifting in Britain.

Archie Norman, who has served as chairman of the retail group since 2017, asserted that the introduction of this technology in supermarkets have severed the "human link" between store and consumer.

The former MP said: "When normally good, honest people come in, and they’re buying their shopping, and it doesn’t scan, and there’s nobody manning the checkouts, they’re saying: ‘It’s not my fault and I don’t have much time so if I can’t get my strawberries through, I’ll just put them in my basket’."

In recent years, M&S has led the charge in introducing self-checkouts to its stores as part of wider efforts to cut costs.

In 2023, the retailer revealed it had installed 800 of the tills in just 12 months to help it to reach its £150million cost-saving target.

As well as this, Marks and Spencer began introducing self-checkout machines to its changing rooms in 2024.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Mr Norman noted that supermarkets do not "have to bring back in-person checkouts" to reduce shop lifting.

Despite this, the M&S chairman said: "It does mean you’ve got to make the technology easier for people to use."

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This latest intervention from the M&S chairman comes after other comments on the issue from other members of the supermarket giant's top brass.

Earlier this month, Marks and Spencer hit back at the "brazen, organised, and more aggressive attacks" on stores after a gang of young people raided its Clapham store.

Thinus Keeve, the group's retailer director, took aim at London Mayor Sadiq Khan over his record when it comes to tackling crime.

On the incident, Mr Norman blamed the police for their failure to intervene when it comes to regular shoplifting offenders.

He added: "When you have gangs of kids coming in and sweeping the shelves, that’s a police event and it requires an active police response.

"When something like that starts to become common, it says to everybody, including ordinary citizens, that it’s not safe."

According to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), there were more than 530,000 recorded shoplifting offences in the 12 months to March 2025.

This represents the highest reported recorded for the offence since records began in 2003.