Major grocery chain to remove items in from major manufacturers like Advil, Colgate to deter theft

A major grocery store chain serving Washington, D.C., will reportedly soon clear its beauty and health aisles of all national labels to deter theft.

The chain, Giant Foods, which also serves surrounding states including Maryland and Virginia, will no longer stock such brands as Tide, Colgate or Advil – just store brands, according to The Washington Post. 

Shoppers also will have to show their receipt to an employee before exiting the store.

As of Sunday, the change had yet to go into effect in at least some stores.

The move by Giant is its most recent against rampant theft hurting retailers of all sizes and across the country. Giant has already put some items in clear lockboxes that are opened by a cashier at checkout.

The Post also reports Giant’s change is a “potential last-ditch effort” to try to prevent it from closing its only store in Washington's largely impoverished and underserved 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,” Giant President Ira Kress said.

Shoplifting, organized crime and violence have become significant concerns for such retailers as Home Depot, Target, Lowe’s, Dollar Tree, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Whole Foods, which closed a store in downtown San Francisco.

Organized retail crime increased in 2021 by an average of 26.5%, according to a National Retail Federation study released last year, the newspaper also reports.