Australian supermarket chain Drakes recently started a trial putting GPS locators on expensive cuts of meat in order to reduce their losses caused by shoplifting. The polycarbonate cases are usually used to prevent theft of high-priced items in supermarkets, but Drakes is the first retailer to use them on meat. Technically, high-quality meat like Wagyu qualifies as a luxury product, so Drakes believes the security measure is justified. The containers cost $35 each, which Drakes director John-Paul Drake said is like paying for 24/7 security. “We’re talking about meat that ranges from $50 to $100 a pound, so it’s the highest-end meat we have,” he said. Drakes claims $12 million worth of meat is stolen from its network of 67 supermarkets every year. They are currently in their third week of a 13-week trial. If the meat cases prove successful, they plan on expanding the tracking throughout Australia.
