Spam, other foods secured in store lock boxes amid increase in shoplifting

NEW YORK — It is something you would never think you would see — a can of Spam encased in a loss prevention box.

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After cases of shoplifting increased, one Duane Reade store in Manhattan apparently took steps to protect its stock of canned ham products by putting cans of Spam and Celebrity brand ham in plastic theft deterrent boxes, CBS News reported.

A shopper shared images of the canned hams encased in plastic on Twitter.

The products typically retail for between $3.50 and $4 each, CBS News reported.

“I’ve never seen that before,” a cashier who had to remove the Spam from the box by using a magnetic device, told the New York Post.

Fox News reported that tuna is also being locked in plastic containers, while the Post shared an image of a can of sardines in a plastic box.

Business Insider reported that several items are popular with people who shoplift, including cigarettes, over-the-counter medications, contraceptives, liquor, teeth-whitening strips, as well as health and beauty products.

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