A locally owned grocery store in Nanaimo has taken the unusual step of locking up its meat section amid what owners describe as rampant theft that’s cutting into already thin margins. 

Superette Foods, run by Sarita Patel and her husband since late 2024, now keeps high-end meat products under lock and key, according to a post by the owners on the company's Facebook page.

Customers must ring a bell and request assistance to purchase items — a security measure the owners say has become necessary after repeated losses.

Superette Foods, a locally owned grocery store in Nanaimo, is locking up its meat section amid what owners describe as rampant theft that’s cutting into already thin margins. pic.twitter.com/sxaobyk49A

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) January 9, 2026

“They are stealing sometimes $70 of meat, sometimes $100 of meat,” Patel told Global News. She warned that persistent theft isn’t just frustrating — “We will not survive” if losses continue.

Employees say the locked cooler is intended to help keep prices down and the department open for legitimate shoppers. The store reported incidents to Nanaimo RCMP, but thefts have continued. 

Nanaimo continues to rank among Canada’s highest-crime cities. Statistics Canada data indicates that the city’s crime severity index remains above the national average.

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