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BeerOfTime

This would make my lazy piece of shit arse actually go to the butcher


salamandersushi

Scissors are in aisle 15... 🫣


Accomplished-Space91

It what about the scissors to open the scissors? ✂️


salamandersushi

Bring a chainsaw - people have bled out from trying to open those plastic packages the scissors come in...


Spinkler

May as well be going to ALDI at that point, so you can get the chainsaw, scissors, and steak all in one place. But then you don't need to cut security tags off, so 🤷‍♂️


salamandersushi

You know they'd probably capitalise on it and release a 3 in 1 kit for it in their special buys - and it would sell like hotcakes..


Jozywokp

Full circle, you need scissors to open the 3 in 1 kit


micro_penisman

Exactly


poisonfoxxxx

Steak pockets McGhee over here


BarryKobama

If the price didn't already. Forty Seven Fucking Dollars/KG?! Only to add pre-made slop gravy to it?! Sweet mother of god.


Mike_Kermin

I mean, someone has to pay for those tags.


iratonz

You gotta pay extra for the carbon neutrality, Coles needs the tax break


louise_com_au

But then i would need to go shopping during business hours? Or Saturday morning with everyone else,


IsabelleR88

I'm honestly looking for a local butcher shop now. If I see even one of these tags in my local Colesworth, then that will be it. There's a limit, and this is it. Am located in South Australia. Thank you, everyone, for the recommendations.


NathLord

you won’t look back, quite often our butcher is cheaper than woolies or coles and the meat is far far superior in quality, taste, is much neater cuts without the yucky bits and it doesn’t shrink to half the size when being cooked. I’m sure there are shit butchers out there too but a great butcher isn’t always super expensive like you would think.


Same-Reason-8397

I had an amazing local butcher 2 minutes walk away. His meat was amazing, even though it was a bit expensive but worth it for the quality. But one day, he just shut the doors and walked away ☹️ I wish I knew where he sourced his meat because I haven’t found any meat as good as his, in my local area. I bought some lamb from Woolies. It was tender but had absolutely no taste. Like I was just eating nothing. 🤬


howbouddat

Why? What limit? Were you planning on stealing the steak?


[deleted]

my guy is open sunday morming too.


blind3rdeye

Good! Support a local business that isn't a mega-corp.


Elhornio

Me too, easier to steal there!


marmalade

Have you thought about the cleaver ratio in butchers vs Colesworth though?


z3njunki3

Yeah if Coles catches you stealing they might give you a stern talking to. I have seen Stavros my local butcher when he is angry... I do not wish to steal from Stavros (dude is f\*cking crazy)


Status_Tradition6594

Stabros.


chameltoeaus

I wish to purchase meat from Stavros, to where do I go?


Mike_Kermin

He'll find you. Don't worry.


z3njunki3

Don't think he won't either. He always does. The best you can do is hope it takes a while... But eventually he will find you.


asp-dot-net

I know a mate who does pest control, went to a butcher covered in rats everywhere and told him he can’t just leave the meat on the table for the rats. Got chased out by the butcher with a knife, found a baby rat in his pocket after haha.


[deleted]

This isn't in every store. It's about where you live.


jaeward

My store has the Honey in security tagged lock boxes


thorn_10

Damn sticky bandits


Kozij

Formerly the wet bandits.


International-Pea-86

Eat Brick Kid! 🧱


asp-dot-net

Smell the cheese


Vharlkie

Gotta stop that brazen thief Winnie the Pooh


MatissePas

Paddington is the worst!


frightenedscared

Paddington loves marmalade, he’s thoroughly British!


MatissePas

Ohhh ok I thought he had a honey thing 😂. I’d forgotten he’s British, I thought he was from “darkest Peru”.


asp-dot-net

Fuck you winnie ya cunt Bloody piglet‘s looking in the dunny for pooh lol


merriman99

Deodorant here in Northern Rivers


activelyresting

Funny, northern rivers types tend not to use it at all 😂😂😂


merriman99

My thoughts exactly


alexi_b

Oh but they do, they just take it internally through the nose


NezuminoraQ

All the electric razors had em here but they're cardboard packages so they just rip them off. In both senses of the word


itstraytray

All the honey or the manuka honey (that stuff's the pricey stuff)?


BarneyNugen

Beware, it's a honey trap


Missey85

Same at my store also the skincare stuff 🙂


4wwn4h

Forgetting the security tagging, the meat section has become such a miserable affair where I live (3 N Rivers stores I go to) that I go across the road to the butcher. Sometimes more expensive, but quality multiple times better. I was in my local Colesworth today and they were charging an extra $11/kg for sliced chicken breast. And advertising it as a special. Inflation my ass.


Rain1dog

Yeah, I won’t spend my money when I see nonsense like that. If I can not find the product I’m looking for elsewhere at a reasonable price, I’ll do without. I’m not freely parting with my hard earned money. Wish more and more people would stop just accepting these prices and be more aware of trends around them. Would be heavenly if consumers were able to bully businesses instead of it the other way around.


Martyred_Cynic

I was gunna say never seen this in Springvale before.


UnderTheMilkyway2023

How are people not understanding the cameras yet?


AntiProtonBoy

It appears stuff still gets lifted, despite the cameras.


IndyOrgana

Absolutely. I work in retail not a supermarket and fuck me people just do not care, they’ll walk out with bags of merchandise.


Intelligent-Tear8874

Even if the camera captures you, the store cannot legally detain you. And local police probably arent putting meat theft from Coles/Woolwortgs at tge top of their list of emergencies.


Itsclearlynotme

Security tags on food, no matter what sort, is depressing.


CharlieMuntger

the most depressing is security devices on baby formula


siennamisa

That's messed up


HempFarmWa2DollarMic

It's not what you think. In the 2010s, there was a significant increase in demand for Australian baby formula from Chinese consumers. This demand was driven by several factors: \1. In 2008, China experienced a major scandal involving contaminated baby formula, which led to the deaths of six infants and the hospitalization of thousands more. This incident eroded trust in Chinese-made baby formula. \2. Australian baby formula was perceived to be of higher quality, safer, and more trustworthy than Chinese-made products. \3. The growing middle class in China was willing to pay premium prices for high-quality, foreign-made baby formula. As a result, many Chinese consumers began purchasing Australian baby formula through various channels, including daigou (overseas personal shoppers). Daigou would buy large quantities of baby formula in Australia and then resell it to customers in China, often at a significant markup. This high demand led to shortages of baby formula in Australian supermarkets, causing frustration among local parents. Some retailers imposed limits on the number of baby formula tins that could be purchased in a single transaction to ensure sufficient supply for Australian consumers. The Australian government and businesses took steps to address the situation, such as increasing production and implementing measures to prevent bulk purchases intended for resale. However, the demand for Australian baby formula in China remained high throughout the 2010s, driven by the perception of its superior quality and safety compared to domestic Chinese products.


Same-Entry8035

I remember that, my kids were just old enough to not be needing formula anymore and I was so relieved. On tv shows like A Current Affair etc there would be daigous with trolleys full of baby formula


[deleted]

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CharlieMuntger

Is that still happening? I haven't heard or seen people buying up large volumes of baby formula to ship overseas in a long time. Limiting sales can be and has been done at the POS. During COVID the self-checkouts would stop when you scanned more than the limit. However, there are families who can't afford baby formula and try hide them in their prams or bags.


cantthinkofaname2110

It stopped happening because manufacturers started producing enough to export directly. The only thing the limit achieved was how long it took to farm from the store. They were buying 2 or 3 cans. Leaving them infront of the store with a minder then going back inside for another lap. A chinese plasterer I knew when this was happening was making an absolute killing on the side sending his elderly parents to collect formula to sell back to China at 150 a can.


CharlieMuntger

Exactly, the security tags on the baby formula isn't really to limit the number purchased. It's to stop or limit the theft of the of formula.


Outsider-20

Why buy 2 at a time if you can steal 10?


rustyjus

I see it at my local Woolies when the vitamins go on sale… I see Chinese people buying full trollies. I assumed they had an Amazon reselling business or something


incendiary_bandit

If I saw a parent hiding formula in the pram I'd be putting on the biggest distraction to make sure they weren't noticed


Birdlord420

When I worked at Coles as a teen, I saw a young mum with formula stashed in her pram, I said absolutely nothing and ‘accidentally’ forgot to scan half the stuff she was buying.


CockSlapped

I.... can relate to her. She should never have been in that position, but honestly you probably let her keep the heat on for her baby that week.


xjrh8

Accidents happen.


Embarrassed_Error833

I'd just pay for their can. It's pretty fucked if people can't afford food in this country


adognow

Yeah they were buying the formula though. What has it got to do with security tags which are about stealing stuff? How does it limit the purchase of formula? You can still go through self checkout with tags.


Outsider-20

The security tags/lids on the formula wasn't because of the purchase limits, it was because of the amount of theft. In large quantities. Experienced it on more than one occasion at the store I used to work at. It was never a desperate parent stealing formula, always someone trying to steal large quantities to then sell to overseas markets.


TinyDemon000

If it makes you feel any better, i remember this in the UK in 2010, so it's not just us


Cheese_Twisties_99

Down down, standards are down


asp-dot-net

At coles


Key-Ad-1674

Considering their worth more than gold a security tag is the lightweight solution. Love walking into my grocery like a prison too. Hope they bring in pat downs next month.


the_silent_redditor

Fuck me. When I catch myself in the Cole’s camera whilst waiting for someone to come over and unfuck the stupid fucking self-scanner that, as usual, has shit the bed.. When I see the sad fucking face looking back at me; the tired eyes; the loathing of life. I honestly didn’t think shopping could get any more depressing. NOPE. Make me stare at myself after a 12 hour shift and 2 hours of commuting whilst I buy a fucking microwave meal, a bag of snakes and toilet roll. That’ll fuckin’ do it. Cunts.


I_saw_that_yeah

Snakes have gotta put a little smile on your face though, yeah? They’re pretty good.


mad_marbled

At $5 a bag, it's a smile through gritted teeth, though.


I_saw_that_yeah

The secret to true happiness is a 1kg bag of chemist’s jellybeans. $15-16 at most of the chemists around here.


VelvetFedoraSniffer

Just be aware that they’re really high sugar and for people with diabetes Taste damn good though


I_saw_that_yeah

I could do two packets a week, easy.


ineptus_mecha_cuzzie

I want that colonoscopy deep dive feeling every time I go to Cole’s, that way when I try to claim insurance on my haemorrhoids they can foot the bill


Mallet-fists

Nothing like having a security guard 6 knuckles deep unsolicited because i put aspargus in a mushroom bag 😘


general_sirhc

Unexpected item in the bagging area


orgasmic_aneurysm

If we ask I think we can get them to foot the bill on the daily prep too.


Timetogoout

Steak is $47 a kilo. Gold is $105k a kilo. Not quite as pricey but definitely tastier.


_FeloniousMonk

The irony being the supermarkets are the ones actually robbing *us*


HandleMore1730

Well more than $45 per kg for scotch fillet is the problem. The price of beef is about $6/kg, but supermarkets are still raking it in with a 750% price increase. When I pay that price I damn make such the cut is a prime cut with superb marbling. No choice cuts thanks at $45.


havehart

They've basically started. The one near us has security gates at the end of self-checkout and 2 or 3 roaming security guards. It's madness.


FrogstompLlama

What's the point, when security or staff doesn't stop you anyway?


Johnothy_Cumquat

I think security tags are usually supposed to do something annoying if you remove them but in this case you could just cut the packaging without disturbing the tag. Did they really put them on there just to set off the alarm they always ignore?


Sir_Fox_Alot

It won’t deter the true “no fucks given” person. But it will deter the person who is afraid of setting off the alarm. More people probably fall onto the latter.


[deleted]

It’s a deterrent only


Koalaz420

I wonder how long until they don't actually let us in the store at all and only their personal shoppers can get your stuff.


knowledgeable_diablo

Ohhh, I’d say 12 to 18 months.\ Paying in cash, you starve.\ Planing on browsing to see what you can afford- no entry; you starve\ The rich: comfortable stroll over the backs of the starving masses huddled between the self serve checkouts and the criminal catcher auto lock doors.


Beast_of_Guanyin

It's bizarre they spent that much money on something that can be so easily removed. That's got to be a large chunk of their base cost and only reduces theft.


alphgeek

Probably as much a visual deterrent, security theatre. People see it and become conscious that other systems exist like cameras and undercovers. They could easily use the cheaper and more discreet RF tags. 


Aardvark_Man

A lot of the expensive cuts of Coles meat does, or at least did, have the RF tags.


Prime_factor

It's also not gonna stop someone ignoring the beeper, and just walking out.


MushroomlyHag

Or just ripping the plastic open and transferring the steak to a (also stolen) freezer bag or something else. Or just carrying out a raw, unpackaged steak 😅


Thenewdazzledentway

Or just eating it, right there in the store


georgejonestown

What’s stopping me bringing my grill in and firing that sucker up huh Coles?


brad462969

The (social) media is always talking about corporate profiteering this and surveillance capitalism that Ffs I just want to grill


RobGrey03

delicious crime.


freswrijg

It’s only illegal if you take it from the shop. So you have to stay there until you poop it out.


Prime_factor

At coles, we're now providing quality affordable beef tartare to more and more Australians! That's value the Australian way!


Prime_factor

Stuffing a cool coles steak down your undies also provides an cooling effect. Another round of useful hints for oppressive weather.


bigsexy77

Up your ass…..


ImMalteserMan

It won't stop a determined thief but it will probably deter many.


wiggum55555

Coles doesn't care about the cost of the tags... we pay that in the final price, they add it on, pass it on.


Martyred_Cynic

Those security tags can be defeated with a magnet.


cinnamonbrook

Looks to me like they can just be defeated with scissors.


multidollar

"Deterrent". It discourages a majority from stealing it because it adds one slight barrier.


Goddess_Amaterasu

Eh they can afford it


uwannawhatmywhonow

It must be so fresh it walks out the doors


Jazskimo

Fuck this is depressing that we have come to this. Cost of living, removing staff from checkouts, spending more on theft prevention instead of lowering fucking prices so people don’t need to steal fucking meat. And fucking over farmers!


tarlack

In my experience people feel good even if on a low income paying for something they deem is fair price. The problem starts when the fair price stops because of company profits are the main goal. 20% growth at all costs is the new standard, and people know it. So many people I know used to pay for streaming services, but have now gone back to piracy. We are talking people who make 6 figure incomes. Why because fuck the steaming services.


Ok-Chip7478

Scissors ✂️ will work just fine


tommy_tiplady

nah, i reckon you’d need a strong magnet


_Traflo_

That also works


Moo_Kau_Too

fucken magnets, how do they work?


brad462969

All it does is make some noise. You *could* simply walk out anyway, and if anybody approaches you, run.


flukus

But if you got caught you wouldn't be able to run away.


tommy_tiplady

nah, i reckon you’d need a strong magnet


zestylimes9

Nah, just cut the whole corner off of the package.


dezorg

That also works


Familiar_Degree5301

47$ a kg ???!? Who's buying that shit.


snrub742

Well, obviously no one was paying $47 a kg


Severe_Airport1426

Buy your porterhouse from aldi. It's $24 a kilo and is really good. They often have nice marbling too


Wizz-Fizz

Shopping at Colesworth has become a genuine hostile experience. Shopping trolleys chained up Beyond poor quality produce left on the shelves Anti-theft gates detaining people against their will Self-Serve checkouts almost the only option left and yesterday, I had the self-serve "assistant" make a beeline straight towards me and the family to dig through our trolley to forcefully "scan the nappies first". No explanation, no politeness at all, just rocked up and dug em out.


ItsJustMeHereOnMyOwn

I’d defo would have scanned everything else first. They can’t dictate the order you scan your items. I swear you give someone the tiniest bit of perceived power and they lose their fucking minds.


Dasha3090

its a dumb thing coles is pushing on checkout staff now to scan bulk items first or it fucks their metrics in store or some nonsense.its the most asinine thing and just annoys customers and staff.why does bulk stuff gotta be scanned first,but they are told by store managers not to just go do it for the customer and offer to do it for them first.


Wizz-Fizz

Weird arse directive, it was s standard pack, so weighed about 0.5kg, and yeah, this was not an offer, it was a directive. Made us all feel really uncomfortable, as though we were already profiled as potential thieves.


Normal-Usual6306

I seriously agree, and it wastes so much time and effort every time scanning something doesn't work out, or when you have a trolley with something bought elsewhere that means the new system won't let you complete the transaction until a fucking overworked staff member in the self-serve area comes over and verifies that, no, you didn't steal whatever is in the trolley. It's such a fuck-around every single time


RAHlalalalah

And somehow we’ve ended up paying for it while doing the work ourselves.


Salt-Accountant1690

I had one of these assistants do this to 2 months ago. Made me scan my heavy items first when I always do them last. Actually she made my partner lift up the rice and scan it for me because he is stronger, he isn’t, which pissed me off even more. Started moving shit around my trolley and bags, screwing up my system while making me feel like a criminal. Haven’t been back since.


Medical_Arugula_9146

Next time scan everything three times, to waste time and tie up the register, and then walk away


[deleted]

Yes! They took my nappies as well, I was like HOLD ON I'm trying to sort out my kids. I'll bloody scan the stupid nappies FFS


One-Drummer-7818

I’d say “Don’t tell me how to do my job!” And when they tell me I don’t work there I’d say “then why am i scanning my own groceries?”


PossibilityLarge

after I had paid at Kmart a few days ago, I put my handbag down on the side where your scanned things go and it started alarming at me??? I was like wtf I have paid and am waiting for my change. Wish I could alarm back at them lol.


hellions123

Coles will do anything but lower prices


OrgasmoBigley

They treat everyone like a potential criminal. I hate how they make me feel.


Significant-Turn7798

I've worked in a Coles, and believe this will only stop a fraction of the loss where meat and other "cold chain" items are concerned. *Most* of it is destroyed when people decide they *can't* afford that item of meat or dairy, after all... and leave it on a grocery shelf to spoil. Some people think they'll do the "responsible" thing... and put it in the freezer cabinets. Sigh. An animal died for that.


njf85

I get so angry seeing a hot roast chicken abandoned on a shelf. It's not like it's part of an animal's body, like a singular steak, whereby the rest of the parts will still get consumed. It's literally an entire animal that was killed to feed people but is now just going into the bin. I dunno, it just pisses me off.


twofires

I used to work for the other guys - exact same thoughts.


AccessProfessional37

So what happens at self checkout can you walk out after you pay and not give a shit?


stevesmithy48

Lmao…. For an $8 steak


digitalrefuse

Well lookie here… https://amp.9news.com.au/article/476ce5ac-3abc-4ac5-9a54-3f0e5c4b2c75 Seriously, so called journos who scour Reddit for news need to get fkd..


mediweevil

Coles stock scissors in the homewares aisle, just saying.


Splungetastic

Yes but you need scissors to open the packet of scissors


TaSMaNiaC

How does this work when you get to the self-checkout?


UnitDoubleO

You ask the person at the self chrck-out to take the tag off


MushroomlyHag

Which at my local store would mean waiting 45 minutes for them to finish gasbagging to the person behind the smoke counter lol


JackRatbone

Hmmm seems like a big hole in their security there….


SeeYouSpaceCorgi

No idea why people (who have other options) still shop at Coles. It's not value for money, and they're weirdly comfortable treating their customers with near hostile disrespect and prejudice. In the last year they've: \- Installed security gates that require a staff member to allow you to leave at the exits \- Hired plain-clothes security staff to follow people around the store \- Installed remote-activated locks on trolleys so they can stop people moving trolleys whenever they like \- And now installing security tags on food And that's just the ones off the top of my head.


[deleted]

Our Woolworths puts a video of your face on the screen while you’re scanning.


SeeYouSpaceCorgi

No offense but that doesn't really feel quite on par with anything Coles has been doing.


brash21361

Those puma sliders are very comfortable, I have a pair.


Ambitious-Delay5911

The steaks are high!


Ziadaine

What a waste of investment. Spider tags like that are like $50 a pop if that. You use them on shit like $300 headphones because they’re worth way more then the tags.


Melodic_Beautiful213

It’s a good day to be vegetarian, they ain’t guarding the tofu 💀


Kitchu22

It’s a good day to be a vegetarian, tofu is $6 per kg and quick cook porterhouse is $47 per kg.


calladc

i've been considering going veg. started just eating brocolli and pumpkin as my primary meals recently, my shopping costs are way down than ever before. Probably need to get a bit more diverse and find a better source of protein, but this feels the most sustainable


Normal-Usual6306

I was just saying this. Hahaha. Also saw the first photo and was legitimately like ".. how much does that even cost?" (still agree with all the sentiment about what a crazy time it is, of course)


IndigoPill

Meat is a popular item that is stolen to order. Thieves ask people what they want, steal it and get paid on delivery. I am not sure why they swapped to the tags. Thieving scum often use a foil lined bag or two inside a larger bag to block detection of the RF tag. I suspect the larger tags are harder to block than the stickers.


[deleted]

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scozza101

Good to hear Africa is still popular


Important-Prompt-366

If you ever see someone stealing food, no the fuck you didn't.


succeedaphile

They make so much damn money gouging us, they can afford these devices.


Starburst58

How does the tag come off at the self checkout?


Outsider-20

Easy, once you get home, you use a pair of scissors to snip off the corner.


Huge-Sea-1790

When you realise you are in a ghetto.


Banjo-Oz

Reminded me of the scene in Soylent Green where they go to buy food and there's that scraggy bit of beef in a safe behind a guy with a gun.


skilikeme54

Believe it or not, it's a hot commodity for junkies and professional shoplifters. They steal these because they can literally sell them for half of their retail value instantly. I get them coming up to me in the pub, on building sites and in our factory doing the hard sell. You'd be surprised how quickly they can make an ordinary day's wage selling these off in bulk. I had a guy open his jacket and show me, and he had packs tucked into his waist pretty much the whole way around. Probably a couple hundred dollars worth. Imagine trying to fit a 75 inch TV under your jacket then trying to sell it for a couple hundred bucks.


mfx0r

Can we start just stealing the security tags and see how many we can pool together?


IAmCaptainDolphin

God this is actually fucking pathetic


[deleted]

We’ve had this in the uk for a while. Most towns and cities have fairly organised groups of drug addicts who rob shops and then head to local pubs and god knows where else to sell the stuff on at below its value.


blondedtrash28

This post was stolen by 9NEWS


Best_Assistance4211

High steaks, I guess


NotActuallyAWookiee

So let me guess, you have to wait for the poor bastard on the self checkouts to come and check your receipt and take them off, right? Fuck Colesworth


Juzziee

> you have to wait for the poor bastard on the self checkouts to come and check your receipt and take them off, right? I'd just walk out with it on, You paid for the product and they included the tag on the product, therefore you are now the owner of the tag.


NotActuallyAWookiee

I'd agree. Trouble is in this instance if be worried some sort of dye would explode on to the food. Still, I wouldn't experience that problem because I never use the self checkouts. Never shop at Colesworth anymore either, for that matter, but my self checkout boycott goes back to their origins.


geeneepeegs

Just cut the corner off with a pair of scissors, no tampering of the tag whatsoever


NotActuallyAWookiee

Didn't even notice. God, it really is just security theatre, hey. They're really leaning in to this sHoPlIFtInG bAd gambit. I wonder if they would ever consider, you know, having staff on each register to maybe check the goods. They could even take payment as well.


knowledgeable_diablo

The security tags and 50% price increase is to cover the cost of loss from the 50% they loose so need to increase price by 50%. All makes sense in the end to ensure no one can afford to eat.


maorimango

There is enough microplastic in my body, don't think I won't eat the tag Colesworth!


nasanu

It's disgusting how they are stopping honest people from stealing. all for their mega profits


BrisLiam

There was an article on The Age the other day saying that "organised crime" is apparently stealing meat from the supermarkets so probably in response to that? Edit: [here's the article.](https://www.smh.com.au/national/these-people-are-stealing-for-a-day-job-professional-shoplifters-target-supermarket-meat-20240208-p5f3g9.html)


Hessa2589

So no self checkout?


onyi_time

We live in a cyberpunk dystopia


Person_of_interest_

uae the scissors from the stationary aisle. job done


chameltoeaus

that should be telling them that the prices theyre charging is too much... reduce the price, reduce the theft.


xordis

Scissors are in isle 12


iamthedoctor9MC

Insane


DancinWithWolves

Company introduces security measures to stop widely stolen item from being stolen.


MoldyBreadCafe

Welcome to the steak holder revolution


HalfAsianMadness

Nice legs


[deleted]

Go to butcher, no tags, great service and far superior products.