A D.C. grocery store is removing Tide, Colgate and Advil to deter theft

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Last edited Sat Sep 2, 2023, 07:43 PM - Edit history (1)

BUSINESS

A D.C. grocery store is removing Tide, Colgate and Advil to deter theft

To avoid shutting down an unprofitable store in Southeast Washington, Giant Food will check receipts and remove products

By Jaclyn Peiser
September 2, 2023 at 7:00 a.m. EDT



A sign announcing a new receipt checking policy in the Anacostia store as Giant Foods grocery is making some changes to their stores to address organized retail crime, in Washington. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)

In the coming weeks, a Giant Food market in D.C. will clear its beauty and health aisles of all national labels. No more Tide, Colgate or Advil, only store brands. Shoppers also will have to present their receipts to an employee before exiting the store.

It’s the regional supermarket chain’s most overt gambit against the rampant theft that’s plaguing retailers of all sizes. It’s also a potential last-ditch effort to avoid shutting down the unprofitable store on Alabama Avenue — the only major grocer east of the Anacostia River in Ward 8.

“We want to continue to be able to serve the community, but we can’t do so at the level of significant loss or risk to our associates that we have today,” said Giant president Ira Kress.
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Shoplifting, organized crime and violence have become significant concerns for regional and national retailers. Home Depot, Target, Lowe’s, Dollar Tree, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Ulta are among those that flagged shrink — the depletion of inventory caused by something other than sales — during their second-quarter earnings calls. Growing losses have spurred giants like Walmart to shutter locations.

“Our team continues to face an unacceptable amount of retail theft and organized retail crime,” Target chief executive Brian Cornell told investors last month. “During the first five months of this year, our stores saw a 120 percent increase in theft incidents involving violence or threats of violence.”

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Shelves with specific products that tend to be shoplifted are stocked with the bare minimum in Washington. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)

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