Instant coffee has been put in GPS-tracked security boxes in Co-op to thwart shoplifters.
The 200g jar of Nescafé Gold Blend costs just £6.25.
But it has been put in the clear perspex boxes to stop shoppers pinching them.
They have yellow writing on them that reads: ‘Protected by GPS’.
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They were spotted by a stunned customer at the branch in Barking Road, Canning Town, East London.
He told Need To Know: “It is a striking symbol of how far retail crime in the UK has escalated.
“Jars of instant coffee locked inside plastic cases labelled as ‘GPS-protected’ on the shelves.”
He added: “What once might have been reserved for designer perfumes or high-end electronics has now expanded to everyday groceries like coffee.”
Local, Mark Kelly, joked: “If 100 jars of coffee are taking a week it adds up to a few quid.”
Co-op has been approached for comment.
It is not the first time unsuspecting items have been put under theft-busting measures.
Last Friday (5 Dec), Tesco locked up £1.75 Cadbury chocolate bars to stop sweet-toothed crooks taking them, in Ilford, also East London.
Sainsbury’s Local in Barnet had £3 Lindt chocolate and £3.85 boxes of Persil pods protected in September.
In June, £2 packs of ham were spotted slapped with security tags in Tesco in Blackpool.
