Boots wants shoplifters to foot its bill for investigating their thieving.
The firm issued a Tyneside serial shoplifter with the formal demand after she stole over £300 of cosmetics.
Crimes, such as shoplifting, are estimated to cost the British high street £700m a year.
And at North Tyneside Magistrates' Court, known nuisance Emma Peacock was slapped with a demand by Boots for the money it paid staff "to investigate" her thieving.
The 37-year-old targeted the North Shields branch twice within 24 hours.
She stole £131 of cosmetics last September 13 before returning a day later and walking out with £207 of goods.
At her sentencing, the court heard how she has over a dozen offences to her name and a history of flouting court orders.
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Peacock has even been made to wear an electronic tag to try and curb her offending.
But the court heard how she'd barely attended half of her probation appointments and was on a "final warning".
However she appeared in court on remand after she failed to turn up a week earlier to answer the theft charges.
After being brought in using handcuffs, she pleaded guilty to both counts of shop theft.
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The court heard Boots had been forced to deploy staff to watch CCTV in a bid to track Peacock down.
But mitigating, her solicitor Mark Harrison claimed: "It is a figure plucked from the air to say shoplifters cost £40."
Traditionally, companies have had to take civil action against shoplifters to recover staff costs.
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However, Boots' claim was rejected by magistrates.
It is understood the firm's costs application wasn't detailed enough.
Magistrates extended Peacock's existing community order after she admitted to and ordered her to pay £131 in compensation for just one of the shopthefts.
For the other, where she stole over £200 of goods, she was handed a six-month conditional discharge.
That means that unless she offends again in that period, the offence will be effectively wiped off.
The defendant, of Railway Terrace in North Shields, was also ordered to pay £40 costs.
A Boots spokesperson added: "Theft from stores is an issue for Boots UK and many other businesses.
"We have historically sought recovery of our costs in the civil courts to help us to protect our business and to send a clear message that we will not tolerate theft from our stores."
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