Security concern over bagless goods
A Neath Ferret survey has revealed that many shops are concerned about the new law requiring customers to pay for bags to carry their shopping out of the store.
Many customers are refusing to pay for a bag and simply carry the unwrapped goods out of shops.
In the past bagged or wrapped goods were an indication that they had been paid for. Now some customers are walking out of stores with arms full of goods.
Security staff at one supermarket said that it is now difficult to tell what has been paid for and what is not.
With the new law it seems that shops cannot insist on the goods being wrapped or bagged before leaving the store, so it like opening the door for dishonest people.
It may eventually mean shops putting security tags on all goods, or perhaps 'sold' labels at the point of sale. Either of these options would cost more than a price of a bag - and the cost would have to be passed on to the consumer.
The whole problem means that stores will have to put up prices to cover losses or increased security costs - in the end we will all have to pay more!
Have you any comments about this?
Readers write
One reader asks about market and street traders who in the past have never given receipts.
1/11/11 A month on from the start of the new law about shopping bags, BBC TV Wales reported and confirmed that there were some 'teething' problems.
