Supermarket chains are banning minors from stores alone after 6 p.m. and prohibiting large bags in Washington, D.C. and Maryland as part of new policies aimed at curbing rampant retail theft.
Giant Foods confirmed to Fox News Digital in a statement Monday that the chain's revised policy applies to some stores “to mitigate unprecedented levels of product theft” that were making business “unsustainable.”
“Retail theft in our market areas affects everyone,” Giant Foods said in a statement, “limiting product availability, reducing shopping convenience, and most importantly, putting our employees and customers at risk.”
The chain's new policy, which went into effect Thursday, applies to all seven stores in Washington, D.C., two in Baltimore and three in Prince George's County, Maryland.
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The measures mean that people under the age of 18 will not be able to enter stores after 6 p.m. without an adult, and most stores will prohibit bags larger than 14 inches by 14 inches by 6 inches. In stores where larger bags are permitted, customers must tag the bag before entering and agree to be searched before leaving.
Retail theft remains a major problem in cities across the country since the coronavirus pandemic began. According to data from Capital One, Washington DC retailers lost $120 million in revenue to theft in 2022, resulting in the city losing $7.21 million in retail sales tax.
The updated policy applies to all Giant Food locations in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images/File)
Giant Food said these measures are the latest they have implemented to reduce theft and violence in its stores. The chain cited “limiting self-checkouts, increasing security, restricting exits, working with police to increase police vigilance, locking up merchandise that is likely to be targeted by theft, and banning bags larger than 14″ x 14″ x 6” in some stores.
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Giant Food said adding these new policies likely won't be a silver bullet to curb the out-of-control theft seen in its stores.
“No tactic we deploy is an ultimate solution to the problems we face,” the statement said, “but we continue to invest in efforts to improve employee and customer safety and reduce theft.”
Other methods Giant has employed to combat retail theft include limiting self-checkouts, increasing security, restricting exits, working with police to increase police presence and locking up merchandise that is likely to be targeted by theft. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images/File)
A D.C. police spokesperson told Fox News Digital that police continue to work to combat issues such as retail theft and are in contact with retailers across the city.
According to data posted on the police department's website, overall crime in Washington, D.C. is down 19% so far this year compared to last year. Violent crime is down 35% so far this year compared to the same time last year, and property crime is down 3% over the same period.
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The police department does not break down the theft statistics on its website into more specific types of theft.
