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M&S admits 'terrible' mistake as it reverses supermarket policy

Outside of Marks and Spencer store

Marks and Spencer has admitted that their policy limiting the number of steaks it displays to prevent shoplifters from stealing was a 'terrible mistake'

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Georgina Cutler

By Georgina Cutler


Published: 09/06/2023

- 12:07

Updated: 09/06/2023

- 14:49

The Supermarket was criticised over their new policy to deter thieves

Marks and Spencer has admitted that its policy of limiting the number of steaks it displays to prevent shoplifters from stealing was a "terrible mistake".

The supermarket chairman, Archie Norman told GB News that the policy was reversed after the team got wind of the strategy being used in store.


The measure by M&S was highlighted by a Twitter user last weekend after they visited a store in Harrow to buy some steaks.

In her tweet, the shopper explained how there were only three different cut steaks on the shelf and when she asked a store employee whether they had been busy, she was informed that this was to stop thieves.

Shoppers who wanted more needed to ask a member of staff because thieves "were coming in with a backpack and emptying shelves before running out of the store".

Norman addressed the policy while speaking to Esther McVey and Philip Davies, he said: “I think it really happened in one shop for one day. As soon as the team heard about it, that was the end of that.

"It was a terrible idea. It is interesting that shoplifting and shop thefts have increased across the industry in the last two or three years.

"Everybody is struggling with this and of course M&S steak and M&S beef is all traceable back to the farm.

“If you are a shoplifter it’s the product of choice. You take that down to the pub and everybody is going to pay a premium for that. So we do have a problem with steak, but the wrong way to deal with that is to take it off sale.”

The measure was not a widespread policy and it has since been scrapped.

Norman added that all supermarkets, including M&S, had been massively impacted by global issues affecting prices.

He said: “We all know why food inflation is so high. We had a macro disruption with Ukraine, and the pandemic supply chain disruptions which resulted in the price of gas, of oil, of wheat, of freight rates all going through the roof.

"And was that nothing to do with the UK. It was what happened around the globe.”

The measure by M&S was highlighted by a Twitter user over the weekend after they visited a store in Harrow to buy some steaks

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Giving his view on the idea of a price cap for food he said: “The funny thing about this price cap idea is it was launched just at the time when all the essential prices started to come down.

"The price cap would probably stop them coming down. So the price of butter is coming down, the price of bread is coming down, the price of vegetable oil is coming down, the price of pasta is coming down.

Asked why he thought it took the Bank of England and politicians by surprise he added: “I don't think people understand the anatomy of inflation, I don't think putting up interest rates will make one jot of difference to inflation.

"I think all they'll do is reduce investment and employment. That's the way it was intended, which is not what we need.

"Unfortunately, because it's driven by these macro factors there isn’t a lot you can do other than bear down on public sector wages, which the Government is doing their best to do."