Posted on 05/31/2023 3:23:28 AM PDT by dennisw
One grocery chain is fighting hard to keep stores open despite rampant shoplifting and an uptick in violence forcing many retailers to leave major cities across the country.
Giant Food, which operates 165 supermarkets in D.C., Maryland, Virginia and Delaware, has taken multiple measures to combat theft and keep stores safe, according to a report in The Washington Post. That includes limiting store entrances; hiring security guards; restricting the number of items at self-checkout stands; putting less high-value items on shelves; and securing razor blades in containers that make noise if opened.
Company president Ira Kress said he's seen theft rise at least "tenfold in the last five years" and violence increase "exponentially."
He hopes these measures will help keep stores open, even if they inconvenience shoppers. "The alternative is worse for customers," he told the Post. "The last thing I want to do is close stores. But I’ve got to be able to run them safely and profitably."
Fears of violent reactions from shoplifters has also changed some companies policies over the years. "We used to chase shoplifters," Kress said. "And you’d get the product back, and nobody would ever fight you. … I didn’t worry about somebody pulling a knife or gun on me [40] years ago," he told the Post.
A consumer and retailer industry expert said that retailers will continue to leave cities as it has become difficult for them to maintain a profit with organized retail crime and theft at an all-time high.
"We’re seeing the highest level of organized retail crime and theft ever," Lakshman Lakshmanan, senior director in Alvarez & Marsal’s consumer and retail group said in the Post report.
Other retailers have similar policies in place, due to fears the employee might be harmed or killed in an altercation with a shoplifter.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
In my opinion the robot is there to get people used to being under surveillance by robots. Notice how they try to make it look cute and friendly? It’s just creepy and I have the urge to kick it when it comes near me.
The shoplifters (common thieves) walk around free. The merchandise is locked up in the stores behind acres of plexiglass. This is the woke solution to theft. Go shopping and when you find the item you want, then you have to go find a store employee to unlock the display case. What a bummer.
I am encountering more and more of the store shoppers with their huge carts plying the aisles filling the customer’s orders. Their carts are at least twice as large as my shopping cart. Makes my shopping experience much more difficult and much longer.
Agreed- I don’t think it’s cute or friendly.
The thieving at retail stores is rampant these days
Some believe it is “their right” to do so
This is the evil poison placed in their minds by others
Maryland, Viginia and Delaware. Blue state freakshows.
I think what happens is Black rock gets on the board after buying so many shares and changes these corporations into world economic forum puppets.
The homies will use sledge hammers and/or simply threaten a worker or two until the cases are opened.
I live about 5 miles from th Philadelphia County line. There are several Giants in .y area. Most of the employees bus in from the ‘hood. I no longer shop there because of caliber of employee. Plus the stores are dirty and littered with debris. The meat department is the worst I’ve ever encountered. No security guards yet but police paroles are visible.
Giant should increase prices in high theft stores by whatever percent it takes to offset the cost of the stolen merchandise.
Alternately, they will just close leaving the poor neighborhood with no store.
Not really. The stores in the suburbs have the support of law abiding customers and local law enforcement. The social order in urban areas is breaking down.
but these companies will keep donating to the democrats for more crime ,more closing etc etc etc
You describe the point
As they close stores in black areas we’ll hear never-ending sob stories of how blacks are living in “food deserts”.
Next step for the Leftists: MANDATE that security measures in stores in ‘their neighborhoods’ be no stronger than security measures in stores where whites live.
In other words, if their people are going to suffer, so should whites.
If I were Giant Food I would have armed security at the doorways. Entrances and exits. And I would advertise this. Jack up prices a bit to cover security expenses.
Shopper who are honest and want a safe shopping experience, will flock to Giant Foods.
Coming soon…”Inconvenience Stores.”
Keep virtue signaling your woke-assed selves, corporations.
Something I have noticed over the past several months is that people who go through the self checkout lines will ring up their purchases, but then not pay for it, and walk out with their items. Anyone else seen this? I’ve seen it Kroger, Walmart and Dollar General stores.
I’m interested to know in which specific areas Giant is doing this. It’s not any of the stores I frequent. I could make an educated guess where the theft and violence is occurring, and those locales are rightly going to become “food deserts.”
I guess some fine folks are getting some more of their Reparations.
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