Giant takes steps to address shoplifting
Giant grocery stores throughout the region are changing their checkout procedures due to a soaring increase in shoplifting.
The self-checkout stations are now limited to 20 items per customer, and stores now close at 10 p.m. A manager at the Annandale Giant on Columbia Pike also said more security staff are being added.
A sign in the Annandale store displays a message by Giant Food President Ira Kress that says, “Due to a significant increase in crime and theft that we and many other retailers are experiencing across our market area, we have made several changes to our operating procedures to mitigate the impact of theft to our business.”
“We know that these changes may cause some inconvenience or be disruptive to the experience you are used to,” Kress states, “and I assure you we are making these changes out of necessity to prioritize the safety of our associates and customers.”
“We would prefer not to have to put these measures in place,” says Giant Food Communications and Community Relations Manager Jon Arons. “Unfortunately, at this time we are in a position where these steps are necessary.”
It’s awful and unfortunate that they have to do this. I was at a Giant this week and was talking to the cashier and she was telling me that just the day before a nice looking middle aged couple came in with reusable bags, loaded them up and just walked out the door. And another day a mom with her kids was caught passing items over the scanner without scanning them. I know times are tough, but it’s shameful that so many have forgotten that stealing is just plain wrong!
If Giant expects more shopper to stand in line, it better come up with a way to expedite the checkout process. At present, cashiers mostly both scan and pack. That creates a bottleneck at the register. The only ways to avoid having shoppers languishing in line is to either assign a clerk to do the packing or, like Aldi, have customers pack their own groceries.
Or as in other countries, the customer bags his/her own bags.
John, are the other countries better than the US? If so, let’s do what they do.
article doesn’t mention that any Giant stores that previously had two entrances will now have just one. which is super annoying.
i wonder what other “measures” they’re taking. The article just mentioned what is readily apparent from the signage. ’20 items or less at self checkout’.
Is the scan it app going away as well (like wegmans removed the ability to scan as you shop).
when using my own bags i find it much more convenient to scan and put it in my bag, but thats just asking for thieves to go nuts.
Ive been to 3 Giants in the past week, and all 3 have closed that 2nd entrance. Annoying. But if it helps with theft, then I can deal with the annoyance.
It’ll help with theft until the thieves figure it out. If there are no disincentives for breaking the law, the thieves will continue at the same rate with different tactics.
20 Items or less seems like an appropriate number for any self-checkout.. unless you have a lot of really small items to purchase. I don’t understand why people with a shopping cart full of groceries attempt to go through the self-checkout.
Self-scanning has always proceeded quickly for me. That’s because open scanners are generally always available. I like to load my groceries into a box that I bring along. It’s easier to carry items like bottles and cans that way. Until now, I could quickly scan my items and place them directly into the box. If I bought more than one unit of the same item, I could scan one item repeatedly instead of scanning each item separately. So, self-scanning was definitely preferable to standing in a line.
Under Giant’s “place all items in the [micro] bagging area” policy, my only alternative will be to stand in line and then try to explain to the cashier that I need to have my groceries boxed. Since I’m not interested in putting up with this hassle, I’ll be taking my business to another supermarket where the lines are much faster and customers can load their own groceries.
I can scan faster and pack my bags faster than the cashier. They get paid whether they hustle or not so they tend to go slow. I also don’t have to wait in line. But the machines now are a pain because of the stupid weight thing where you have to bag each item. Every time I go, I confuse the machine just because I open one of my bags. I’ll put up with security guards checking my receipts if I don’t have to deal with the shoplifting crap from the self checkout.
It seems that stores reduced staff that maned the registers and also anyone to help bag. You’re lucky to find one check out line open during peak shopping hours, relying upon the self check out stations. I’ve grown to hate going grocery shopping!
I agree that there are rarely more than one or two cashiers at Giant & everyone is forced to do self checkout.
The price gouging (it’s not “inflation”) and lack of affordable housing are putting many households in desperate situations – even in one of the wealthiest counties in the nation.
No, it’s inflation.
Fairfax County is cobalt Blue with a sole R in any elected position. So, maybe people think they’re in San Francisco, or New York, and can steal without consequence. Have the police arrested anyone for theft? Has there been any legal enforcement or prosecution by Giant? If not, these measures won’t solve the problem, just slow it down. Theives need to be made an example for the rest of the community.
Who shops at Giant anymore? Aldi/Lidl/TJs/K Market are all far superior options.
Giant has the best selection of organic groceries in the area.
Also for those with allergies a lot of this options have cross contamination issues
Really, the government said food inflation was about 10 percent a year the last two years. Two years ago almost all items at giant increased from 50 to 100 percent, at least meat, bakery, dairy, and most items people really need. There is no way prices have gone up only 10 or 20 percent at Giant in the last two years
I once saw someone run out of a Giant with a cart full of groceries. I don’t think that store had security guards then, or has them now, but I hope it gets them.
Security Guards are the answer. Each customer needs to show a receipt when leaving the store. The receipt date shoukd be checked. If a basket is full of groceries and a short receipt, something is wrong. Also, you need to open more registers..it’s not right customers needs to be inconvenienced because Giant wants to keep their profit high. Also, the scanning oneself and bagging needs to be abolished.
Never was a good idea…there is just too much dishonesty in the country today. Giant needs to check their own employees as well. And no back packs allowed in the store.
How did big cities (San Francisco, LA, NYC) fare with security guards? Not well. Only law enforcement and real penalties will put a dent in this problem.
Real penalties don’t solve anything. Did the death penalty stop people from killing others? Even the justice system readily recognizes this. Security guards will help though. No one wants to get caught. https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/247350.pdf
Real penalties keep criminals off the street and behind bars. When they are behind bars they can’t hurt law-abiding citizens.
Security Guards are like scare crows; there to scare off only those potential shoplifters who think the security guards might stop them.
The reality is that the security guards won’t stop them because the security guards know if any physical harm occurs, especially to the shoplifter, they (the security guard) will be held criminally liable by the current Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney, and self-described “proud Democrat”, Steve Descano.
In other words, if you are not appreciating the early stages of criminal justice reform we are experiencing here in Mason District, you may not be as much of a Liberal Democrat as you think you are.
As for me, I support Steve Descano 100%.
The shoplifters are the poor and the desperate who need the food to feed themselves and their families. Even if the increased shoplifting results in more hassle and increased costs for Giant’s and other supermarkets’ paying customers, it is well worth it.
Susie, you belong in Beirut or Mexico City, not Fairfax County. We are a civilized people with laws, despite your best efforts. Have a blessed evening.
Doesn’t this come in violate ingress/egress requirements from our Fire Marshal?
Worried about life safety for customers and employees because of faulty policies of private businesses. They can choose or not choose to hire more employees, security guards.
I was with friends last night in DC and there was where I first heard about this. Giant is giving up on DC and closing many of its stores. CVS is doing the same. This is what happens with you undress the police. Now they are short staffed because no one wants the job anymore: low pay and high risk, who needs it!