A Tim Hortons location in Vancouver's Chinatown neighbourhood has removed most of the furniture from its dining area.
The coffee shop is moving to a standing-room style of service as other stores in the city make changes of their own to discourage theft.
Some convenience stores have locked up their soft drink and dairy fridges and gas stations are removing squeegees from the washer fluid bins, with signs advising customers to enter the station to request the squeegee.
Retail strategist David Ian Gray believes anti-theft measures will only increase in Vancouver until the problem begins to recede.
