Shoplifting has reached unprecedented levels across the UK, with over 20 million incidents reported in the year leading up to September 2024, costing retailers £2.2 billion. Garden centres are not immune; a recent survey by the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) revealed that 71% of garden centres consider theft a significant issue.

High-value items such as Jellycat soft toys, Yankee Candles, hand tools, and premium homeware are increasingly targeted by both opportunistic thieves and organised crime groups. In one notable case, a woman was charged with stealing nearly £3,000 worth of toys from three different garden centres over a two-month period.

In response to these challenges, many garden centres are adopting Chirp Protect, a next generation anti-theft system that offers real-time tamper alerts and robust, in-store protection. Unlike traditional alarm tags that only trigger at the store exit, and are often easily removed, Chirp Protect's tamper-proof tags and compact Chirp Hub can be strategically placed at each high-risk area such as restrooms, cafés, and outdoor spaces, acting as a first line of defence against theft. Additionally, the system's ITS Box integrates seamlessly with existing security infrastructure, including CCTV and staff communication devices, ensuring immediate situational awareness and rapid response to potential threats.

Charlie Groves of Groves Nursery & Garden Centre reports a significant reduction in theft since implementing Chirp Protect:

“It’s helped quite a lot. The tags are quite visible on the products, which I think discourages people from attempting to take anything in the first place,” says Groves.

“We’ve only had one incident since installation, and thanks to the system, we were able to retrieve the item quickly. It’s proven to be a strong deterrent, especially for high-value items.”

He also praised the system’s ease of use:
“The till operators have had no issues at all. It’s simple to tag items, and the whole system is easy to manage day-to-day... You can install it yourself - the sensors that go above the doors are simple to set up, and it’s essentially plug and play.”

Patrick Fairweather of Fairweathers Garden Centre echoed the system’s effectiveness:
“Chirp has given us another level of protection for higher-value goods that our conventionalsecurity tagging system did not provide. Its alarm when tags are tampered with in-storehas already prevented multiple high-value thefts.”

The cost of a Chirp Protect system varies depending on the size of the garden centre, the number of products being protected, and how many key areas need safeguarding. To make implementation even easier, the company offers a flexible leasing option, allowing garden centres to spread the cost into manageable monthly repayments. With theft prevention kicking in from day one, many sites are seeing a clear return on investment within the first month.

As theft continues to impact the bottom line and staff safety, garden centres are increasingly seeking out advanced solutions like Chirp Protect to safeguard their merchandise and create a secure shopping environment.

For press enquiries or more information, visit: www.chirp-protect.com or email sales@chirp-protect.com