The scheme first hit the headlines earlier this year when a notorious city shoplifter was banned from 70 city stores by the courts — and a second order has since been granted.

It comes as a new survey reveals the total cost of retail crime to society is £3.442 billion every year, the equivalent of £115 for every UK taxpayer.

A council spokesman said, “We have pioneered the use of the retail ASBO linked to specific premises. We were the first council to have done that.

“ASBOs have been taken against people in the city centre, but this is specific to named stores who are members of the DUNCAN crime reduction partnership.

“There have been two so far, and it is likely that similar action will be taken as and when it is felt necessary.”

Anyone breaching the terms of an ASBO by entering the named premises will be arrested to appear before a sheriff.

Shoplifting has widely been regarded — particularly by criminals — as a victimless crime, but researchers have found that the costs suffered by society are as great as retailers’ losses.

Professor Joshua Bamfield, of the Centre for Retail Research, found that £1.731 billion is spent on police, courts and the criminal justice system dealing with thieves, retail security costs and losses to the Treasury.

These costs, said the Professor, could entirely fund a combination of 11,700 more beat constables, 9230 nurses, 5500 more classroom teachers and 64million new books in school libraries.

The research also found that thieves who stole to “get a fix” spent £553.2 million on drugs with the proceeds of retail crime.

The director general of the British Retail Consortium, Kevin Hawkins, said, “The BRC welcomes the research carried out by Professor Bamfield. Reducing the terrible and often unseen cost of these crimes is a priority for the industry and government alike. This is why the BRC is calling for retail crime to be shifted higher up the Government's agenda.”