THE president of Giant Foods has spoken out against bands of thieves stealing groceries and warned that stores could close from the increase in retail crime.
Retail theft has become a nationwide issue for many businesses and grocery stores like Giant Foods are not immune.
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“They steal everything from roasts to shrimp to deodorant to razor blades, you name it,” Giant Foods President Ira Kress, told WTOP News.
Kress pointed a finger at large, organized crime rings that have contributed to the problem.
“They hire other thieves and provide them with a list of products to steal,” he said. “Those thieves then go out and fill the list.”
Kress said the increased violence that comes with shoplifting may cause Giant Foods stores to start shuttering.
“What we always must do is ensure we can run our stores safely and profitably,” he said.
“If I can’t do both of those things, I’ll have no choice but to close a store. This clearly takes a toll.”
The president did not specify which stores if any would close. There are locations in Washington DC, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia.
“It is scary, and it is really concerning and, unfortunately, I don’t have many solutions for it either,” Kress said.
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“But, to the degree that I can limit any of the violence — which is trying to limit the interactions that are causing these individuals to create the violence in our stores — I’ll attempt to do.”
Employees do have de-escalation training, according to the outlet.
CRACKING DOWN ON CRIME
Kress pins the rise in retail crime on how easy it is to sell stolen goods and the lack of punishment for partaking in this illegal activity.
“It is extraordinarily easy to sell stolen items now,” he said.
“And if it’s easy to make money and there are little-to-no penalties getting caught doing it, then more people are taking advantage of that.”
A few theft prevention measures that Giant Foods has put into effect are locking up some items, getting rid of secondary entrances, and increasing training for clerks.
However, Kress recognizes that measures like limiting the number of items customers can scan at self-checkout have upset some shoppers.
“We used to allow full baskets,” he said. “We now limit that to 20 items.”
“This is not to cause an inconvenience,” Kress said.
He told customers: “Be patient.
“If it means you have to ask someone to unlock a product or walk further to the entrance, please understand why we’re doing what we’re doing.
“And have a little patience with us.”
https://www.the-sun.com/news/8460253/giant-foods-president-ira-kress-retail-crime-spike/