Canadian grocers are working harder these days to stop thieves who are carting off big-ticket items, sometimes selling them on the black market.

Supermarket workers say professional thieves tend to target items from the meat section.

One butcher at Safeway in Calgary says he has seen organized shoplifters try to escape with hundreds of dollars' worth of meat during a single spree.

"I've seen that happen," says Jack Skinner. "Like in one case where it was $569 worth of meat they had in the buggy and they caught them, making a break going out the door with it."

It's estimated shoplifting is costing Canadian supermarket chains $1 billion a year. Grocers say consumers end up paying for theft through higher prices.

"Shoplifting is a crime of major proportions in the grocery industry," says Canada Safeway Ltd. spokesperson Toby Oswald-Felker.

That's why on top of surveillance cameras and undercover security in the aisles, Canada Safeway is experimenting with full-time uniformed guards at the door.

Oswald-Felker says Safeway started using the guards a week ago in major markets at its stores in Winnipeg, Regina, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. The trial is expected to last for about one month.

"We'll then re-evaluate the success of its ability to deter shoplifters," she says.

"Just by having someone at the door with a uniform, it's going to be beneficial for us for sure," says Jeff Halliday, a Safeway store manager in Calgary.

Still, the company says it would also like to see tougher penalties for shoplifters.

"Professional shoplifters realize that there isn't a huge deterrent," says Oswald-Felker.