A new shoplifting trend has emerged where thieves are discreetly replacing economy-range eggs with luxury alternatives before heading to the checkout.
Anita Wong, 53, discovered the ruse after purchasing a £4.50 ten-pack of eggs from her local Waitrose.
Upon opening the packaging, the Ealing resident found the premium eggs had been swapped for a cheaper, standard variety.
A loyal customer of the Wiltshire-based brand, Wong noted she specifically pays a premium for their high welfare standards and signature deep-yellow yolks.
The Wiltshire company marks each egg with a Clarence Court crown, making them easy to recognise.
It was Wong's daughter who raised the alarm after realising the eggs were missing their distinctive logo and appeared smaller than usual, telling her: 'Mum, these look like normal eggs.'
Wong then searched the internet for the serial number stamped on each of the eggs and found they were the standard British variety.
In a video posted on Instagram, she said: 'This is what's happening in a lot of supermarkets at the moment.'
Wong said she specifically pays a premium for their high welfare standards and signature deep-yellow yolks.
'The more expensive eggs, people are actually decanting those into the less expensive egg boxes and buying them so the people who are buying the more expensive eggs are unwillingly buying the less expensive eggs.'
The former intensive care nurse, who has retrained as a nutritionist, said when she went back to the store to complain about the incident, a member of staff told her the problem was not uncommon.
'The sales assistant said she thinks someone has swapped the contents and paid for the standard egg box,' she said.
The cheapest six-pack of Waitrose Essential free-range white eggs costs £1.50 and the most expensive six-pack of Clarence Court eggs costs £4.55.
The shoplifting trick was reported as egg prices continue to remain high in what has been called 'egg-flation', as Wong added that shoppers should check the eggs inside the boxes before buying them.
Farmers previously attributed the cost increase to bird flu outbreaks that thinned flocks and created supply shortages.
With egg-swapping resurfacing just as it did in 2024, there are growing fears that products will have to be packaged more securely.
Retail crime has hit a breaking point as a theft occurs almost every minute without consequence.
The Met Police saw offences skyrocket by 165 per cent between 2021 and 2024, reaching a total of 90,000 reported crimes.
As of December 2025, more than 800 shoplifting cases a day are shelved due to a lack of suspects.
The crisis is particularly acute in London; the Met Police saw offences skyrocket by 165 per cent between 2021 and 2024, reaching a total of 90,000 reported crimes.
With the annual cost to retailers hitting £1.8billion, Labour has pledged to tackle the 'epidemic', as shops are increasingly forced to spend their own margins on enhanced security measures.
However, shoplifting across England and Wales is still on the rise, with thefts reported to police at a record high in the year to June.
A spokesman from the Association of Convenience Stores said: 'It's symptomatic of the problems retailers are facing, but this kind of thing happens quite a lot.'
'It's similar to people having six bottles of wine and scanning the cheap one six times, but taking five expensive bottles.'
'Or scanning a Sunday newspaper, knowing that there's no weight limit as it's different every week, and putting other items on there with it.'
'Anything that has value is now a target for thieves.'
In response to Wong's video, Instagram users recounted their experiences of seeing thieves swapping eggs in the aisles of most British supermarkets.
One said: 'I was in Asda and saw someone do this with basic and free range eggs, and I told her that what she was doing was wrong and unfair to the person who would be purchasing the free range eggs and getting basic eggs. She just laughed at me. I told an employee, but by the time she went over, the woman had gone.'
Another added: 'I've seen someone do this at Sainsbury's in Abbey Wood. I didn't say anything. I just gave security the info. When that person went to pay. They were intercepted by security and management.'