Groves Nurseries has introduced Chirp Protect to help tackle growing retail theft, following a major incident involving thousands of pounds' worth of Jellycat soft toys.
The family-run garden centre, which has been operating in Dorset since 1866, was featured on BBC Morning Live in a report examining the impact of shoplifting on independent retailers.
Rather than installing conventional Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) gates, Groves chose Chirp Protect's self-alarming security tags to address the practical challenges of protecting stock across its site.
With several routes from the store to the car park, including the main exit, side exits and routes through compost areas, a conventional gate-based approach would have been difficult to implement across every exit. 
The centre also needed a way to protect a varied range of high-value products without restricting customer access.
Its protected stock includes Jellycat soft toys, gin, Hozelock products, tools, secateurs and chemicals - a mix of popular giftware, branded products and practical items that can be attractive targets for thieves.
Chirp Protect's tamper-resistant tags sound an alarm if someone attempts to interfere with them, alerting staff to potential theft on the shop floor rather than relying solely on an alarm at the exit.
Since installation, managing director Charlie Groves says the system has made a noticeable difference.
“It’s helped quite a lot. The tags are quite visible on the products, which I think discourages people from attempting to take anything in the first place. We’ve only had one incident since installation, and thanks to the system, we were able to retrieve the item quickly.”
He added: “Yes, definitely. It’s proven to be a strong deterrent, especially for high-value items.”
The system has also proved straightforward for staff to use. Charlie said: “The till operators have had no issues at all. It’s simple to tag items, and the whole system is easy to manage day-to-day.”
For garden centres with extensive outdoor areas, multiple exits and increasingly diverse product ranges, Groves' experience highlights the importance of choosing security measures that fit the layout of the site as well as the stock being protected.
For more information about Chirp Protect, visit https://chirp-protect.com.