The FWD Blueprint scheme under the title of Putting Leaders On Display (PLOD) transfers 70cl spirits from the cabinet behind the counter to open shelves near the till.

Security caps are fitted to the 70cls and a detacher installed which is used by the retailer when the product is sold. This means if a bottle is stolen, then it must be smashed by the thief to get to the liquid.

The Paper Shop Plus store in Blackpool is one of the Blueprint stores currently trialling the system. Owner Paul Cowens explained: "Spirits are kept behind the counter, but with this comes the problem that your customers can't really see the full range that we carry.

"I'd never heard of independent stores having this type of security system before, so when the Blueprint suggested I give it a trial I was extremely keen to see the outcome."

In the four months since Paul has had the PLOD system in-store he has seen, on average, 18% uplift in his spirits' sales.

Alan Toft, Blueprint chairman, said: "There are thousands of stores where it can be practical to implement PLOD."

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