A Greggs branch situated on one of Nottingham’s primary retail avenues will transfer all food items to locations positioned behind the service counter, company representatives have confirmed. The Clumber Street branch in the central business district will form part of a small selection of outlets nationwide implementing this modification, relocating sandwiches, snacks, and additional self-service merchandise currently showcased at store entrances to areas adjacent to the cash registers. The bakery company indicated this adjustment comes as the Clumber Street branch has experienced increased instances of anti-social behaviour. This behind-the-counter method coincides with the branch’s forthcoming reopening featuring its restructured interior design on April 30, although merchants situated along this route, formerly acclaimed as Europe’s busiest commercial thoroughfare, indicate that unruly behaviour and stealing have become ongoing concerns.
Kumar Singh, sales manager at the iMobile mobile phone repair establishment, described various difficulties in the area and noted the need for considerable vigilance. He explained that the store has experienced break-ins and violent confrontations within its premises, with certain individuals posing as customers before running off with handsets. Singh observed that those lingering outside the establishment demonstrate no regard for others. He has witnessed shop owners being held back by a group while their establishment is plundered, with onlookers failing to intervene. While Nottingham purports to rank among the world’s premier cities, and Singh has acquaintances working in other neighbourhoods where it is considerably safer, he considers this a significant issue that requires improvement.
John Rose Jewellers has conducted business from Maypole Yard, adjacent to Clumber Street, for half a century, yet personnel indicate that shoplifting has intensified dramatically, reaching levels approximately twenty times the most severe the business had previously experienced. Proprietor Liz Roye explained that they regularly have to lock their doors due to the volume of theft occurring, which never seems to cease. She noted that the same individuals would attend daily, and staff instantly recognised their purpose. The business commenced introducing security measures months prior since no alternative solutions remained, leading Roye to express support for Greggs’ strategy.
The bakery company, which operates five additional branches throughout the city centre, originally disclosed proposals to secure merchandise behind counters at particular locations in May 2025, with five London branches becoming the initial ones to trial this method. However, the Clumber Street branch appears to constitute one of the primary bakeries outside the capital to implement these adjustments. The modifications are not expected to be rolled out to every Greggs outlet across the nation. Despite the alterations, the company guarantees customers they will still obtain their complete product selection. A company representative explained that this initiative is one of several being evaluated across a very limited number of branches experiencing elevated anti-social conduct, with patrons continuing to access the full array of inexpensive, tasty Greggs favourites from behind the counter.
According to Nottinghamshire Police’s monthly crime statistics, 209 shoplifting occurrences were documented in the city centre during February, with 108 of these transpiring on and adjacent to Clumber Street. Patricia Welbourne, who has collected contributions for the Salvation Army along this avenue for seven years, described observing numerous incidents on this road that unsettle her. She expressed understanding that certain individuals possess no monetary means, but noted that at her age of 84, having lost her spouse, she cannot give to charity, yet neither she nor anyone else would turn to theft. Welbourne has seven offspring and nine grandchildren, and she stated they would not conduct themselves in such a manner. Nottinghamshire Police was approached for comment but had not responded prior to publication. In February, the force earlier disclosed that three additional sergeants had been assigned to the city centre neighbourhood unit, with retail crime nominated as a key priority.