A baffled shopper has been left stunned after spotting £1.10 tubs of Vaseline locked away in security boxes at Tesco.
The budget beauty item is the latest everyday product to be put under lock and key as supermarkets crack down on shoplifting.
Yun Zhang, 23, couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw the lip therapy tubs secured inside anti-theft packaging.
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The student filmed the bizarre sight and shared it online – where the clip has racked up more than 138,000 views and 8,000 likes.
“I was surprised and confused, thinking who would steal it,” Yun, from London, told NeedToKnow.
“But also it’s so small it’s easier to steal, so it kind of makes sense.
“I have actually seen it on steak and formula milk before, but I was surprised by Vaseline as it is proportionally more affordable than those items.
“I suppose I didn’t think of them being used for easily stolen smaller items too, rather than items that some may not pay for as they cannot afford it.”
The unusual scene was spotted at a Tesco Express in Russell Square, Camden.
Yun captured the footage on 27 March, joking online that the move was “cost of living crisis-maxxing”.
Shoppers were left scratching their heads over the decision.
One person said: “Thieves have chapped lips too.”
Another person added: “We have to basically tag everything now because people keep nicking things and the managers get irritated.”
A third user wrote: “Easy to steal I’m guessing, but at the same time who’s stealing vaseline.”
One person said: “Crisis maxing.”
Another user added: “They lock items whichever are getting shoplifted the most.”
